Cursed Refuge
by gennsis
Summary: Finally, there might be a place all miserable people could call 'home', in this dream-like school called LoL Academy. But the price of abandoning all misery was one's memories and soul. The Sakamaki brothers, Yui, Tamiko and Shiori are the first batch of students. Would they be able to learn to love in spite of forgetting their pasts, the things that made them whole? (AU)
1. Cowardice

**_00\. cowardice: to escape from your pain, even if it means losing everything_**

It was a bother getting up just to attend some human school. It was a bother chewing food. It was a bother bathing. Heck, even opening his eyes was a bother.

 _Everything_ was a bother.

…Oh well, thinking about bothersome things was a bother, too. All he really wanted to do is plunge into an abyss of nothingness and never wake up again. Yet, even if his body didn't stir, his consciousness always woke up, tireless and persistent, unable to forget that burning fire. For countless of years, time had passed just like this.

How annoying. How troublesome. Why couldn't he just forget everything?

Just as he thought so, the stinging sunlight pierced through his eyes, engulfing his darkness with light. He opened his eyes reluctantly. Groaning, he got up, annoyed that his sleep was interrupted. He knew he shouldn't have slept in the middle of the garden, but he couldn't be bothered to teleport to his room.

In a flash, his surroundings changed, and he was back in his room. What time was it again? Judging from the clear, blue sky, it was probably morning. Reiji usually reminded him to eat breakfast, but he supposed the black-haired guy didn't bother himself this time. To quote from Reiji himself, 'it was a waste that a deadbeat here was wasting away precious space doing nothing; there was no need to waste even more food on him'. Indeed, he was a really worthless guy who couldn't even protect anyone around him.

Breakfast didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. Even if he didn't eat, he couldn't die anyway, unlike those fragile humans.

If only he was one of those fragile humans...

Groggily, he climbed onto his bed and immediately closed his eyes, the darkness his only refuge away from reality.

* * *

The deadbeat didn't come for dinner again, and Reiji was utterly pissed. Then again, he got pissed every time he thought of that deadbeat. The thought of his brother's indifferent, sleeping face had always been the trigger of his anger.

 _As expected of that good-for-nothing! Even a vase would serve better use than him!_

It was a bizarre thing indeed. His brother never did anything to him, but maybe that was what he hated about him. Sakamaki Shu never did anything for his own good... not even when his dog died and not even when his friend died. He was a sloth who would only accept things as status quo, lacking any ambition or drive for anything. He was the kind of person Reiji despised the most—a coward, through and forth.

Such a coward wasn't fit for the heir position. Yet, he had received it, just because he was the eldest… He was a fool born with luck.

And just because he was the second, Reiji was cast away, like some forgotten garbage.

How funny. Vampires could live forever, yet the younger ones were always meant to suffer. Why was fate so cruel to him? Why was _she_ so cruel to him, even though the only weakness he might ever have is being born the second?

Regardless, the subject herself was no longer alive, so there was no longer any use in pondering such matters. The only thing he could do now was to bring her back and punish her, so that she could finally recognise his worth.

Else, there was no reason for his existence.

Making up such a resolve, he stepped into his laboratory, prepared for a long day ahead.

* * *

Sakamaki Ayato was bored out of his mind. He was wandering around the mansion, looking for something better to do with his life. Unfortunately, nothing was ever good for Yours Truly, and in the end, he decided to simply settle in his Iron Maiden bed.

He imagined he would dream his mother again. After all, she had been haunting his dreams since young. Perhaps he would see the water scene again, where she would always, without fail, drown him. The sight of him squirming and thrashing about the waters burned in his mind. It was a sign of defeat which he never wished to see again.

He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to immerse himself in such thoughts. Yet, his screams and her laughter always came back, and they came back louder and greater, as if swallowing him whole, just like that water.

 _You are worthless to me unless you're the best._

His mother's shrill voice sounded again. He didn't want to hear it. Not his shrieks, not her mocking words-

'I am worthy. I am worthy.' He insisted to himself multiple times. 'I am worthy.' His breathing gradually steadied, although he knew his mind was in a frenzy, and it would always be.

And just like that, he fell into deep slumber, uttering those few words repeatedly like they were all that he had left.

* * *

After having some tea parties with Teddy, Kanato was in the usual room. He admired the perfection of his wax dolls, and recalled the times when his mother would praise his idyllic creations. They were the only things that validated his existence, other than his voice.

"Okaa-san, you're proud of me, aren't you?" Kanato asked in the silence. He would never receive a reply, but it didn't matter. As long as his mother was with him, nothing mattered.

The dolls stared at him blankly with hollow eyes devoid of life, just like his beloved teddy. Kanato smiled victoriously, knowing that in this place, he was the only one they could see. They would never leave him no matter how much time had passed, unlike living things. They would never abandon him, just like his mother did.

As he clutched his teddy bear, he smiled victoriously. In fact, his mother's ashes now lay within his teddy bear, forever accompanying him in the form of undistinguishable matter, making up for the lost times that she never spent with him. He was indeed loved. He was indeed cherished. Right?

Of course he was. He would not take no for an answer. And he was indeed happy that unlike when they lived, none of his dolls rebutted him. They could be whatever he wanted them to be…

Now, he would never be lonely again.

* * *

Laito was indulging himself with R18 flicks again, but strangely, none of them caught his attention. They merely glazed by his memory, left forgotten as soon as they finished. In fact, he had seen so many of them that he had almost gone numb to those obscene scenes. With a sigh, he lay back on his bed, staring at the blinding lights of his room in a daze.

He was hoping to regain the sense of euphoria that overflowed his veins whenever he humiliated or made love with another, if humiliation could even be considered 'love'. But alas, there was nothing. Instead, there was weariness of it all.

Love was lust. It was what gave him happiness, even if it meant stamping on others. That was what his mother had imbued in him since young. But if that really was the case, why was he feeling so… empty? So lost?

He thought that perhaps killing his mother would give him satisfaction, but after losing her, he was like a child trapped in a forest. Even when he loathed her, he also needed her, for she provided him the sense of direction he needed in his life…

He was confused. Very. Since young until now… He was totally and utterly confused about everything.

How pathetic. How pathetic he truly was.

With such a concluding thought, Laito shut his eyes, surrendering himself into darkness and giving up any sort of hope that might have lingered in him. After all, he had already been tainted, and there was no turning back.

* * *

 _You're filthy._

That statement repeated itself like a mantra in his head every single day he lived. And everywhere he went, the silver-haired woman and her golden eyes would haunt him with her anguished stare and trembling lips.

Subaru knew his mother was just sick. She had gone insane thanks to his pathetic excuse of a father, and she was only diverting her anger to him. It wasn't really her fault.

In fact, it was his. If he wasn't born, then maybe she wouldn't be in such agony. She wouldn't have to withstand seeing a single moment of his golden eyes that were exact replicas of his father's…

"Damn it!"

He punched the wall again with such penetrating force. No surprise. There was no other medium for him to vent out his anger, so he took it out on the poor walls, as always. His hands were numb with the pain, just like his heart.

Every time he thought back to his sobbing mother, who begged him to end her life, he wanted nothing but to kill himself, for he was a useless son, and a useless individual.

However, he bore the weight of having a cursed gift—immortality. Death was not an option for him to escape from his misery. And so, he decided that the only way to redeem himself was to continue and suffer from these nightmares for the rest of eternity.

* * *

It was night. Yet another day had passed without any news from the man whom she called 'father', and still, she was stuck with six sadistic vampires who treated her like a livestock.

Although she wished to believe that she could eventually make her escape and see her father again, she knew it was impossible with six vampires on her tail, especially since she was just a weak human. The moment she gave up the path Subaru had opened for her, she was doomed to this life abnormal for a follower of God. The strength in her limbs was seeping out, and the tears in her eyes had already dried.

Why did she end up in such a predicament? Why was the man she considered her father all her life... not her father?

Her once clear, white skin was blemished with bite marks of those cruel vampires. As her fingertips lingered on those marks, she realised that she could never go back to the way she was before. She had become a sinner, unsightly for her father and God. Could she seek the truth even with her unkempt state?

She held her cross tightly, in hope that this action could regain at least some faith inside her. No matter what, God would never abandon his people, and so, she would never abandon Him. But as the strength in her hand weakened, her resolve wavered, and she started to doubt.

And once a seed of doubt was planted, it was difficult to stand strong again.

* * *

It always started out as a voice. It first echoed indistinctly, like a silent murmur in the distance, but later it became louder, stronger, before overtaking what was left of their consciousness entirely.

However, the six boys and one girl were not alone. This voice existed in everyone's dreams, haunting and reminding everyone of their fears, anxieties and insecurities.

In the dream of a young girl, whose brown locks hung about her face like a cover, there was the recurring image of a woman's corpse, suspended by the noose around her neck.

In the dream of another young girl, her scarlet red hair burning with the colour of blood, there was the recurring image of a woman submerged in her own blood, eyes paralysed with fear.

But in all of the nine's dreams, a common man had surfaced. His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, and his ghastly, white hair flowed about, like the shadow of a ghost.

If only they knew they weren't alone. If only they knew that there was still happiness elsewhere, and they could partake in that happiness… How would they change?

And so, a dream spirit, Yu, decided to embark on a plan—a plan that might save them all, but also destruct their entire existence.

* * *

 _I wish… to be free from this misery._

" **Even at the risk of losing your memories?"**

 _Yes._

" **Even at the risk of losing your soul?"**

 _Yes._

 **Then, I'll grant you your wish.**

* * *

A/N: Nothing much is added to the prologue, but I just tidied up some of the sentences and also added that additional part at the end to give a slight sneak peek to Tamiko and Shiori's pasts. Anyway, I know I said the story would be light-hearted but after having second thoughts, there'll probably be more darkness than fluff. I feel it's a more realistic choice considering the characters involved. But still, I hope you guys will enjoy the journey ahead. Whatever that will come will have a certain meaning to it, in both good and bad ways.


	2. Revelation 01

**_01\. revelation: to uncover everything about a mystery_**

In the hall, there were nine bodies lying flat on the ground, resembling very much like corpses. In front of them all, there was one lone cat grinning triumphantly, believing that his great plan would succeed. Their memories had been locked away, and soon they would awaken to learn the true meaning of 'happiness'. He would be an inspiration, just as he so wished!

As if on cue, a body stirred amidst the pile of still life. It was a tall and fit young boy. His red eyes burned with intensity, and his silver hair glimmered amidst the lights. Subaru had awakened first, just like the cat, Yu, had expected.

"Huh…? Where am I…?" Subaru muttered under his breath as he ruffled his hair. Then, his red eyes flickered with doubt, seeming to realise the pile of bodies around him.

"What the hell?"

Along with Subaru, another body also moved. This time, it was a petite girl. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded down around her shoulders, resembling the waves of an ocean. A flower hairclip was clipped on her hair, enhancing her innocent beauty. Her eyes glittered pink, a stark contrast to the earlier boy's fierce eyes. Yui had also awakened along with the albino.

Her eyes darting about frantically, she asked, echoing the doubt of the other boy, "W-Where am I?"

Catching a glimpse of life, Subaru immediately shouted, "Oi! Who the hell are you, and what the fuck am I doing here?" Yu found it amusing how neither of the two noticed the cat. Or if they did, they didn't bother to comment.

The girl stared at him blankly, as if questioning his sanity. Her lips trembled slightly, though she still did not speak.

"Can't you speak?" Subaru snapped again, his patience wearing thin.

Frowning, the girl squinted at the guy in front of her, as if scrutinising his appearance once again. Finally, she opened her mouth with slight hesitation.

"D-Did you kidnap us?" she exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Yu had to resist the urge to laugh. He did feel pity for the poor silver-haired boy (especially since he was the kidnapper himself), but boy was it funny!

On the other hand, Subaru was obviously enraged. Yu almost feared that he would hit the walls just like how he had in his dreams. Any destruction of the building would just mean that he would need more energy to 'repair' the damage.

"W-What?!" bellowed Subaru, evidently flustered.

Just then, a low, drowsy voice sounded, "How noisy… Keep quiet." It came from a blonde who had earphones plugged into his ears. His eyebrows scrunched, his dull, blue eyes slightly opened and peeked at the two culprits behind the noise. Unlike the other two, he didn't seem to have an inclination to get up. Instead, he remained lying on the ground. As expected of the Sakamaki family's sloth, Shu.

Hearing that, Yui immediately rushed to the blonde, frantically asking, "H-Hello? Do you recall anything? We've been kidnapped by this guy, right?" As she said that, she pointed towards the anguished silver-head.

The blonde blinked slightly, rubbing his eyes as he squinted at the albino.

He replied, "…I don't remember. But that must be the case." He yawned and closed his eyes again, as if not bothered about the possibility that he might have just been kidnapped. And of course, that made things even worse.

In a rage, Subaru stomped towards the two, shouting, "What the fuck? Why would I kidnap you all? I don't even know any of you!"

"That's the question I want to ask myself," Yui insisted, her eyes stubbornly facing the albino's red orbs even though her legs were trembling with fear. From her dreams, Yu thought Yui was a pretty plain girl who somehow got stuck in a messy environment, but she proved to be a pretty funny character herself. Although she didn't seem to notice it.

Another guy stirred. He had hair probably as red as Subaru's eyes, messed up like a bird nest, and eyes as green as wilting grass bathed in sunlight.

Ayato scorned at the two in front of him.

"Who is disturbing Yours Truly's sleep?" Ayato growled.

"Yours Truly? Now there's a narcissist in addition to a dumbass and a lazyass," Subaru sighed. Yui blinked. She didn't say anything, but Yu felt like she was just at a loss for words. Maybe she was thinking of how she should react to such a direct insult…

Shu, in contrast, didn't seem fazed. Was he even listening? With his eyes closed, nobody could tell.

However, insulting the red-haired guy was probably one of the worst decisions Subaru had made in his life.

"...Are you insulting Yours Truly right now? Madman!"

"Madman? I'll kill you-"

In a flash, the two guys lunged at each other, as if ready to slash each other's throats. Yui blinked again, stunned. The cat sighed dramatically. This was really escalating in ways he never imagined…

Reiji was the next one to wake up. Strangely, his black hair was still neatly combed, and his glasses was perched sharply on his nose. Nobody knew how he managed to keep up his pristine appearance even in his slumber.

Of course, the gullible girl welcomed this. Glad that there finally seemed to be a decent person alive, Yui moved on to the man.

"Please stop them! Those two are fighting for some reason, and I think that silver-haired guy is our kidnapper," Yui said. Reiji blinked, frowned and stared at the duo.

"…What is the meaning of this?" Reiji asked. The two ignored him, and continued their fight. But well, nobody ignored Reiji. _No one._ They would know this… if they still had their memories.

"Stop."

This time, Reiji's voice was sharp, and in an instant, the two froze, knowing that they shouldn't provoke the guy who was staring daggers at them any longer.

Clearing his throat, Reiji addressed the albino, "I believe we should have an explanation of this. You're the one who has brought us here, aren't you?"

"Huh? Why me? Like I said, there's no reason why I need to kidnap idiots like you all!"

"Idiot? Did you just call Yours Truly an idiot?"

Yu sweat-dropped. He planned to step out now, since things were getting out of hand. But with those two acting like squabbling toddlers, he couldn't get a word in.

This time, another girl had woken up. The strands of her shoulder-length brown hair dangled about limply, while her eyes echoed the darkness of black, a stark contrast to her pale skin. From afar, she seemed like an average high school girl, but upon taking a closer look at her, she was emanating gloom and pathos. She was undoubtedly Tamiko.

Yui ran up to Tamiko, panting slightly. She had probably done a year's worth of running in this big hall.

Yui said with a welcoming smile, "Hello! I honestly don't know what's going on here, but well… they're fighting. And I don't feel safe with any of the other guys. So, can I stay with you?"

Tamiko stared at Yui blankly. Then, she turned her attention to the strange scenery and observed the scene in front of her. It was indeed an unusual scene to be woken up with.

Strangely, she said nothing about this whole affair. In fact, she didn't say anything towards the excited blonde girl. Yui's smile slightly wavered. It was almost heartbreaking to watch the brunette ignore her.

A small, purple-haired boy was next. Kanato was still hugging onto his precious Teddy when he rose, his eyes echoing the same tint of purple as his hair.

"This noise… It's disturbing me and Teddy," he said.

"What's next? A crazy child? I'll seriously kill the one who brought me here…" Subaru muttered under his breath. Of course, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Did you call me a _crazy child_? I will _kill_ you!"

Reiji rolled his eyes, probably frustrated that another had joined the skirmish. At this point of time, Yu was completely _lost_. What should he do? He never expected them to be this lively during their first meeting. They were all too 'boisterous' for him to handle, and that was saying a lot.

The second last person to wake up was Laito. He had messy reddish-brown hair and sinister green eyes, as well as a fedora. Clutching his precious fedora on his right hand, he looked at the brawl ahead of him.

"Ah… What is this? A fight?" he commented, amused, not even concerned about the fact that he was in foreign territory. Then, his eyes locked on the two girls who were hiding in a corner. With a characteristic Laito-like smile, he sauntered towards them. Yu knew he was a pervert, but he didn't expect the pervert to act so quickly. Mind you, it had only been one minute since he woke up!

"Why are you two hiding? It's okay, I'll protect you two little bitches~" Laito chirped.

Yui flushed, while Tamiko frowned. They were probably wondering the same thing: What was wrong with the people here?

Yu was about to facepalm himself. He thought that his plan would be a major success, but it already started to go wrong. They were supposed to bond with one another, become friends and learn what happiness meant through their friendship, not fight with one another like some wild cats!

Finally, the last person emitted a groan. Her long, dark red hair was tied in a messy braid swayed in the air. Unlike the other glasses-wearing guy, her glasses had already fallen from its position inelegantly, and she had to scramble to put them on again. She was Shiori, the last (and tallest) girl out of the three.

Instantly, Yui approached her, and Tamiko followed, still observing her surroundings intently.

"Uh… Huh? Do you two know what's going on around here?" Shiori asked in a daze. Well, it's not a surprise, seeing that three unknown guys were about to beat the pulp of one another, and one guy was following them like some stalker.

"That white-haired guy kidnapped us, and then well… After that it just turned messy," Yui admitted, not knowing how to explain about the weird occurrence in its entirety. Tamiko still kept her lips pressed tight in a firm line, piercing the new girl with an intent stare.

Seeing that everyone had finally woke up, Yu decided it was time to put a stop to this madness. If this carried on, the physical bodies might be damaged, and that well… would be troublesome, to say the least. Besides, he really didn't want his plan to fail so early in the get-go.

"That's enough," he voiced out with the firmest voice he could muster. Everyone's attention turned to him, and they blinked in unison.

"…A talking cat?" Shiori rubbed her eyes, as if in disbelief. "What's next? Flying pigs?"

"I hope this is a dream…" Yui whispered.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to clear things up, hm? Yui-chan, unfortunately, Suba-chan is not the kidnapper. Because you see, I'm the one that brought all of you here. Just for your information," he brightly stated, hoping that would quell all her doubts. It seemed to have the opposite effect.

Upon realising her mistake, Yui flushed red, abashed. On the other hand, Subaru was seething with anger.

"Say that earlier, you bastard- Wait, Suba-chan?" he asked. In fact, with how his eyebrows twitched, he seemed to have many questions, but was unsure where he should start from.

"Explain this. Right now," Reiji stated firmly.

"Right. So uh. Any questions?" Yu asked, not knowing from where he should start explaining. He immediately regretted his decision.

In an instant, an avalanche of questions flooded in.

"Why am I here?" "How come I don't remember anything?" "Why are these idiots with me?" "Why can you talk?" "Why am I in this mess?"

"More importantly… _Why are you calling me Suba-chan?!_ " Subaru hollered, the loudest voice amidst the rest.

Yu blanked out, not knowing what to say. He swore his cat ears were deafened by the shouts of these ruffians. What a mess he had gotten himself in, even though it was entirely his own fault.

"Now now, one question at a time, shall we? Rei-chan, why don't you take the lead?" he proposed, sweat-dropping.

Reiji frowned at the cat, likely to be wondering about that bizarre nickname like the albino. Nonetheless, he didn't say anything, more focused on the urgent matters at hand.

He started, "Why did you bring us here?"

"Hmm, that's a long story, but basically, you guys wanted to break free from your misery. So I gave you all a chance. You accepted, and now you're here with me. That's a very simplified version. Easy to understand, isn't it?" Yu explained simply. However, the nine's faces appeared to be confused rather than relieved.

'So… You carried us here?" Ayato asked, unsure for once in his lifetime. The thought of a cat carrying nine bodies was simply ridiculous.

Yu heaved a breath, explaining to the lost souls, "To be exact, I am a dream spirit who harvested your souls. This world is the dream world, another realm from the real world, and this dream manifests because of my energy. But to cut the long story short, your current bodies are technically empty vessels that carry your souls. That is why you won't feel your heartbeat, like you may had in the real world. On the other hand, your physical bodies in the real world are still intact, just… soulless."

The nine stared at the dream spirit, like they were trying to digest the information he had dumped on them. They all felt their chests in unison, and they froze like immobile vegetables. Indeed, like Yu had said, they had no heartbeats. The cat's story sounded unbelievable, but then again, many unbelievable things had happened to them. A strange place, talking cats and zero heartbeats…

This must possibly be a reality after all, mustn't it?

"…Soulless? Wouldn't that lead to many complications? We must have people we associate with, after all…" Reiji trailed off, probably realising he couldn't even recall the names of people he might be acquaintances with.

"True. In order to avoid that, I have only harvested souls from the dead and the undead, who are most unlikely to have any of such acquaintances. Here, we have six vampires and three humans. As you can guess, the males are the vampires, and the females the humans," Yu answered his doubt.

"W-W-What… This is so cool!"

Most of the people were facing it pretty calmly, but Shiori was the only one who seemed awe-struck by the revelation of these events.

"Is that why we can't remember anything about our past selves?" the one to ask the next question was surprisingly Tamiko, who was the latest one to speak out of the nine.

Yu chuckled, and with a devious smile, he said, "Bingo, Miko-chan! Since I only harvested your souls, the intrinsic part of all of you, you will naturally have no recollection of your pasts. Well, you still retain what's mostly you, like your hobbies, beliefs and common sense, so well, you're still you, aren't you? Besides, horrible pasts are best meant to be forgotten, anyway."

Tamiko's lips were pursed, like she was dubious about something. But Yu didn't give her a chance to continue probing.

Instead, he started to explain his true motives, "I've brought you all here because I want to let you all experience happiness before you, well… vanish."

"Vanish?"

Everyone's ears perked up again. What more nonsense could the cat spout?

"You see, there's a life span for your physical bodies as well. Sustaining your physical bodies and this dream requires energy, and even if I'm a Rank A dream spirit, I'm not so powerful to hold all this up forever. That's why all of you will eventually vanish on the 4th day."

"Huh? So we're gonna… die?" Subaru voiced out his concern. Could souls even die?

"Somewhat. Well, it's more like I'll absorb your souls, and this dream will vanish. But well, don't worry! Time in the dream world doesn't pass as fast as the time in the real world. So you'll have 12 days, if we're counting it in the real world way," Yu stated.

"…So I can finally experience 'death' for once, huh," Shu mumbled incoherently. The rest were in deep thought, taking in the new information.

"Since I've taken pity in your sad souls, I created this dream in order to teach you the meaning of happiness. So, forget all about all your sadness! We'll have lots of fun together before you all vanish into nothingness! This school basically has everything you need that'll make you happy. I named it LoL Academy, by the way," the cat proudly proclaimed.

"LoL Academy? Your naming sense sucks!" Ayato yelled.

Yu glared at the insolent narcissist, before claiming, "It's a very thoughtful name, okay! I've heard humans say 'lol' when they find things funny. Besides, 'lol' also means Learn to Love, in short. It's a three letter word that harbours so much meaning and happiness inside it!" As he said it, his eyes sparkled, and rainbows spouted around the cat. The nine gawked at the dream spirit, wondering if their eyes were fooling them or if a rainbow-pooping cat was the normal sight in the dream world.

"Anyway, that's it. I think I already addressed the main points. Any other questions?"

Of course, Subaru shouted, "…Must you really call us by those stupid nicknames?!"

"Huh? Why? I thought they're cute. In Japan, people add '-chan' behind names as a form of affection, don't they?" Yu tilted his head as he asked.

"They are for babies, you idiot!"

"Now now, calm down Suba-chan~ My name is Yu, not idiot. Oh right! I guess we should introduce ourselves, but I think you all probably need a break. How about I give you break time? Explore the school as you wish, and I'll summon you when it's time," Yu proposed, probably the most delighted that there would be break time now. He certainly needed to rest after dealing with these crazy people.

"Y-You can even summon us? How cool! Yu-chan, can you tell me more about the dream world?" Shiori asked, sparkling in an uncanny way that resembled Yu's sparkles. The other eight were gaping at her, probably wondering why the girl was so enthusiastic about this whole ridiculous affair.

"Not now, Shio-chan! It won't be fun if I say too much at once. We'll see how things go, and maybe, I'll share a little then," Yu said, and immediately after, he vanished, like he was the one aching to get rid of all of them. Shiori pouted seeing that the interesting cat had vanished. In unison, everyone sighed, letting out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Why were they even breathing anyway?

One by one, the guys left, except for one.

"Well, our three little bitches, what should we do now?" Laito asked with a suspicious smirk. The three girls looked at each other, and in unison, they counted down.

 _One…_

 _Two…_

 _Three…_

 _Run!_

"Huh… This is no fun at all," Laito sighed, seeing that the girls had ran off with the speed of light. He tried to teleport, but then he realised his powers weren't working. Maybe it was because this body was an empty vessel after all.

Seeing no one around him, the man decided to leave as well, in search for the girls who had escaped.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was a lot of exposition and (hopefully) humour. If any of you have doubts on how the dream world functions, do feel free to clarify them with me since it can get quite complicated. More details about the world will be revealed progressively. And well, I hope my failed sense of humour had saved this otherwise very dry chapter. Subaru is always my target for jokes, sadly xD

I'll be using 3rd POV omniscient, but since there are ten characters (and seeing everyone's thoughts at once would be just overwhelming... I mean, look at how busy it is with just them talking lmao), each scene would only focus on one character's thoughts. For instance, in this chapter, the narrator focuses on Yu's thoughts and later goes to Laito since Yu had disappeared, even though it's a short part. However, the person whom the narrator will focus on the most is Tamiko, since she's more narrator-material compared to the other two girls (and as you can tell, she rarely speaks unless necessary lol).

The pairings of this story are also not exactly fixed. I do have an idea of who I want to end up with who but I'll still let my writing take its lead, so who knows? Things may end up differently from what I expect :P

Feel free to review and give me feedback! I really thrive when I receive feedback ; u ;

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	3. Curiosity P1 01

_**02\. curiosity P1: a strong desire to learn something, which may or may not kill the cat**_

When Tamiko had woken up, she hoped for relief—relief from all her past suffering and agony. She got half of it. Well, she was indeed spared from whatever unpleasant experiences she might have, but another feeling lingered in her: emptiness. Even when she couldn't remember anything earlier on, she could tell something wasn't quite right. The current her didn't feel like the original her. It was as if she was an incomplete jigsaw puzzle missing a puzzle piece.

That made no sense, didn't it? After all, like what the cat said, horrible pasts were best to be forgotten. Why should she worry about the past which her original self clearly wanted to leave behind? Yet, these doubts only fueled her growing curiosity. Who was she? Who were her parents? Why was she the way she was? Why did she want to abandon everything behind? These questions came like an avalanche, and she knew at the end of the four days (or twelve, in the real world), she would just vanish not knowing any of the answers to these questions.

She wondered if she was the only odd one out for thinking this way. Was everyone else really okay with losing their memories? Besides, how much could they trust that cat? Was his aim as noble as he made it to be? Was what he said even realistic?

Just thinking about such bizarre questions gave her a splitting headache. Why, oh _why_ did her original self ask for this? Not only did she forget every single thing about her life, but now, she had to deal with six sinister vampires, two innocent lambs, one annoying cat and the possibility of her remaining sanity disappearing along with her soul.

She was going to play a detective and babysitting game for twelve days.

Sounds like real fun. Not.

Yet, somehow, she had a strange sense of acceptance towards this, like she had faced such a situation before…

She really dreaded to know if she did.

"Ah… We finally got rid of him! I thought he was being a stalker the moment we saw him," Shiori exclaimed. Right. They were supposed to be running from fedora man. Tamiko frowned, recalling how the fedora man called them bitches the moment they met him. She was in a reverie then, and now, she regretted not punching the daylights out of him. Well, there would be time for that later.

"Yeah. Oh, by the way, I don't think we've introduced ourselves! I'm Yui."

"Shiori!"

"…Tamiko."

She resisted the urge to sigh. She didn't exactly want to follow them during her free time, especially when she could explore the area, but she didn't exactly think it was a bad idea. For one, she could observe her new acquaintances and deem if they were trustworthy enough. Still, they stuck out so badly, and she wondered why they were even here at the first place.

Shiori, for instance, was way too chirpy. As Tamiko was just by her side, she could see every action that Shiori was doing earlier on. She was absolutely mesmerised by the cat's talk, and she didn't seem to question her circumstances at all, even though she was the latest to wake up and the most confused one in that sense. Maybe she could just be a huge supernatural buff, but still, she was the only one who showed no doubt towards the current situation, which was… unusual. Still, Tamiko could probably give her the benefit of doubt. Some people just radiated optimism naturally, even if it was weird how she was in this academy with them at all, if that was the case. Tamiko minded that, nonetheless, because Shiori was like the sun, and Tamiko feared she might get scorched if she came close.

On the other hand, she thought Yui was more genuine, even if she was also unsure about the reason why the blonde was with them. Tamiko noted how Yui always carried a cross with her, and how her right hand was always positioned near her chest. Even with her memories gone, Tamiko recalled the cross to be a religious symbol of God.

Then, if the dream world they were in existed, did that mean God also exist?

Perhaps she should ask Yu that question later on.

"Well then, shall we stick with one another for now? I mean, the other six are vampires, apparently. What if they suck our blood?" Shiori proposed, shuddering at the thought of having her blood sucked by random strangers.

Tamiko shook her head, before saying, "They can't. We're heartless. If they do bite us, they'll be biting skin, not blood."

The two other girls exchanged glances momentarily, and then they burst into laughter. The brunette eyed them. What was wrong with them?

"Y-Yes, we're h-heartless! We're all cruel people now, it seems!" Shiori muttered as she collapsed into fits of giggles. A sudden realisation hit the brown-haired girl. _Oh_ , so they were laughing over her calling them 'heartless'. Was it really all that funny?

To think they could laugh so freely even though there was the prospect of them vanishing after twelve days… They were such innocent lambs, indeed.

Then, Shiori continued with a small sigh, "You see… I just can't seem to understand whatever's going on now. Yu-chan really conyused me, you see."

…

Silence. And then, a twinkling laugh escaped Yui's lips, while Tamiko remained unamused.

"Did you say that just to make a pun?" the brunette voiced out her doubt as her eyes surveyed the orange irises of the red-haired girl. Seeing how they twinkled with mischief, she confirmed her suspicions.

"Y-You guys are so funny!" Yui managed to say while she was laughing.

Funny, huh. That wasn't a word Tamiko usually associated herself with. She wondered what the standards of the blonde's sense of humour were.

"Yeah. My skills have gotten rustier, but it was funny, wasn't it?" Shiori proudly proclaimed. Tamiko didn't know if she should consider that as narcissism or confidence. Then again, nobody could beat the earlier guy they met who referred himself as 'Yours Truly' when it came to being narcissistic.

"…"

Proceeding to ignore the two cackling girls beside her, Tamiko strode off first. Idiocy could be contagious.

"Hey, don't treat us like weirdoes, Miko-chan!"

She expected herself to be grossed out when Shiori addressed her as 'Miko-chan' in such an affectionate manner, but strangely, there was a sense of warmth enveloping her heart. She felt the same way when Yu referred to her with that nickname earlier.

But why? It was so uncharacteristic for her to feel this way, wasn't it?

"Anyway, let's not dawdle anymore. Where do you guys want to go?" asked Shiori who pushed her glasses up, as if ready to inspect the surroundings as a vigilant guard. Still, from Tamiko's impression of the girl so far, 'vigilant' and 'Shiori' sure felt contradictory.

"If possible, I want to see if there's a music room," Tamiko said.

She didn't know why she talked about a music room specifically, but it was the first place that appeared in her head. Everything felt queer, like she was doing things by instinct, and not by reason, since that reason had been lost.

Was that why losing her memories made her feel so… empty?

"Huh? Tamiko-san plays musical instruments?"

"No. It just came into my mind."

Did her original self perhaps spend a lot of time in a music room? Yet, she didn't recall knowing how to play an instrument. In fact, she didn't think she was musically inclined at all. Her body didn't feel so.

Why was she interested in the music room then?

Tamiko had never felt so lost. She shook her head, deciding that it was best for her to empty her thoughts for now. Overthinking would just complicate matters, and she sure didn't need to add any more questions to the billions of questions that were already roaming in her head.

Shiori and Yui were talking about something, but Tamiko couldn't be bothered to listen to what the two were saying. They actually clicked pretty well. Unlike her, they were like the light, while she was the darkness. It didn't matter to her, since she was still thinking about the origin of the whole academy's creation. Since Yu called this world the 'dream world', were they actually in a dream that had become a reality? Or was she just… dreaming?

She pinched herself. Nope, nothing. In fact, she didn't feel any pain. Could they even feel anything with their bodies?

"Miko-chan, why are you so quiet?"

Tamiko's eyebrows twitched, realising that Shiori and Yui had stopped, and they were now looking at her. For some reason, that question felt really familiar. So familiar it was almost loathsome.

 _Why are you so quiet?_

Why couldn't she be quiet? In this world littered with noise and crowd, must she be questioned her for silence?

She shook her head rapidly. She was overthinking again!

"I'm just thinking."

"Huh, you're such a mysterious person…"

Tamiko's lips curled into a slight puzzling smile. She wasn't the mystery; the world was the enigma she was trying to solve. But she had a feeling that there was no point explaining to the lively girl whose interest had already moved on to something else.

Right. Humans' attention spans were so short, their concentration almost fleeting. That was why she didn't like to associate herself with others, because she knew at the end of the day, they weren't her friends. They were just people to pass time with when brought together by circumstances. And these two would just be the same as the rest.

* * *

They finally found the music room, which was rather small and quaint. Wooden tiles covered the floor and the walls were painted a sleek brown. A range of guitars, ukuleles, trombones and other string and brass instruments were hung on the wall, shining under the lights, ready to be played by the seasoned hands of musicians. There was also a grand piano at the side, its surface polished and glimmered under the lights. A cabinet was situated at the other corner, probably containing other musical instruments.

Upon stepping into foreign territory, Shiori and Yui laughed nervously.

"Wow… I can't believe Yu-san made all of these. How can Yu-san even do this?" Yui commented, her eyes sparkling with amazement.

"It feels weird being here as a tone-deaf person," Shiori admitted, her eyes never straying away from the instruments.

Tamiko was impressed by the wide variety of instruments, but that wasn't her main concern. The moment she stepped into the room, a familiar tune had been echoing at the back of her head. The lyrics resounded inside her, and she had the urge to just sing it out just so she could really hear what it sounded like. Instinctively, she opened her mouth.

" _The summer sun is clouded  
And the wind fluttered.  
I shall sing  
The proof that life once existed  
For those who do not have a name."_

 _-Euterpe, EGOIST (CR: animelyrics)_

The air had almost stilled for the melody, and Tamiko released a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. It was like she had been enraptured by her own singing.

Wait… What? Did she actually sing?

"…Wow! Tamiko-san, that sounds so beautiful!" Yui marveled, clapping once Tamiko's momentum performance had ended.

Shiori nodded, before adding, "It's pretty, but it sounds so sad. It's like you're singing for those who had died… You're really gloomy, Miko-chan."

Tamiko pursed her lips, reflecting on Shiori's words. Her voice must be her musical instrument. But why did she sing such a song? For what purpose did she sing?

The incomplete gaps in her memory were conyusing, indeed. She silently cursed the cat. It was all his fault. Instead of being plagued with misery, she was now plagued with confusion, confusion and _more_ confusion!

"…That isn't bad."

A drowsy voice sounded in the silence. In unison, the three's eyes turned to the man who was sprawled on the ground, like a real, immobile corpse.

"W-Why are you sleeping on the ground, uh…?" Yui trailed off, not knowing how to address the stranger. She really was so polite with her speech.

"Yeah. Even if you're a sleepyhead, you may get stepped on accidentally if you sleep like this!" Shiori added.

The blonde smirked, before commenting, "…And that turns you on? How unexpected."

Seeing how the conversation just went in an unusual direction, Yui flushed. How Tamiko wished to protect the innocence of the poor, young girl…

On the other hand, Shiori was unfazed. Instead, she smirked. _Smirked!_

Tamiko concluded that Shiori was no simple person.

"Pft, I'm not such a sick person, although I wouldn't mind seeing a squashed face. Hey, maybe I should try it-"

To everyone's shock and horror, Shiori lifted her foot, as if she was about to step the man's face. Surprisingly, the man didn't move. He only stared… up.

"…Black, huh… How boring," he said in the most monotonous voice ever.

"Y-You pervert!" Shiori shrieked, abashed for the first time. Out of embarrassment, she was about to stamp her foot down. Yet, the man's head moved faster than she did. It was like he still had those vampire reflexes of his.

"T-That isn't nice! You can't take advantage of someone like this, uh…!" Yui trailed off again, still not knowing what to address the man with. Funny how they hadn't even done their introductions, yet the man had already gotten a peek of Shiori's underwear colour. What an abnormal situation they were in.

"…What? She's the one who showed it to me. Don't disturb my sleep, you noisy women."

"Oh, so you're gonna play this way? Fine by me! Let me show you something even more interesting than that! Something that will _turn you on_ ," Shiori remarked brazenly, about to stamp down again, though she missed again. It was kinda amusing seeing an enraged girl struggling to step on a sleepy guy's face, who only twisted his neck about to avoid the incessant attacks. Unexpectedly, Tamiko laughed at the scene.

"Miko-chan! This isn't funny! You're supposed to help me here!" Shiori protested.

"Not my problem."

Tamiko's reply was blunt and shocking. Well, technically it wasn't a problem if it didn't involve her. Shiori sniffed, clutching her head dramatically.

"Keep quiet. Your screaming is annoying," the man had to add fuel to the fire, of course.

"…Let's go, Yui-chan. I'll get my revenge later. You'll see how," Shiori only left these menacing words behind and a wry smirk, before dragging Yui with her. At this point of time, Tamiko didn't want to know what kind of revenge she meant. Then, she observed the man attentively. He was undeniably attractive, but what had caught her attention was not his looks, but his earphones.

"…Why, are you giving me a good look-over? You lewd woman," the man stated. Tamiko reddened slightly. She wanted to deny it, but then she realised it was an irrefutable fact... After all, she had been staring at him, even if it was just a habit she had when she saw people. How did he even know she was still there? He didn't even open her eyes! Did he still have those keen vampire senses?

"S-Say. Can you play an instrument?" Brushing her embarrassment away, she asked the question which had been bugging her all along.

The man opened one of his eyes slowly, staring at the brown-haired girl.

"Violin."

"The violin, huh…" she murmured under her breath. The man quirked an eyebrow, perhaps expecting her to say something more. However, Tamiko had already walked off, leaving the man in his lonesome once again.

"A bunch of troublesome people…" he muttered, closing his eye once more.

* * *

When Tamiko exited the music room, she was surprised to find Shiori and Yui still waiting for her.

"Miko-chan, you're way too mean to me! How can you defend that pervert? I thought we were friends!" Shiori lamented.

"When were we friends? And I didn't defend him. I just didn't care," the brunette corrected.

"…Hmph! Yui-chan is my best friend from now on!"

Shiori turned to hug the blonde, who laughed at the girl's antics.

"Don't be petty, Shiori-san, Tamiko-san. We're all friends here!" Yui said brightly.

'Friends' huh… Why did the sound of that irk her so much?

As if she had already recovered from her 'pain', the only glasses-wearing girl chirped with enthusiasm as great as earlier on, "Okay, now that we've been to the music room, I feel like going to the library!"

Tamiko raised an eyebrow. The library? Perhaps she was way too judgmental, but Shiori didn't seem like the type to stay still in the library.

"You like reading books?"

"Yeah. I can't vouch for anything else, but I'm pretty smart. That's why I'm really punny," Shiori confidently declared. Tamiko couldn't help but roll her eyes. That was unexpected of Shiori. Still, Tamiko really admired anyone who was intelligent, especially when it came to Mathematics. She was hopeless when it came to that subject.

At least, in this academy, they didn't have to do anything remotely related to academics. For that, Tamiko heaved a sigh of relief. That was one good thing about this whole ordeal.

* * *

The library was enormous compared to the tiny music room they had entered. There were books of all sorts aligned in shelves neatly and properly, and all the shelves were labelled with the respective sections that the books belonged to, just like a library in the real world. However, what was peculiar was the subject matter of the books themselves.

"T-There are porn mags here?!" Shiori exclaimed. Tamiko pushed Yui to a direction that deviated far away from that obscene shelf, not wanting to taint the innocent girl's eyes. What was going through Yu's mind when he created such a section?

"I-I can't believe it… Yu-chan really made this whole library and this entire place…?" Yui gasped in astonishment.

"Wow… And there are cookbooks, books about the human world, the netherworld, the dream world and even heaven! Hey, let's take a look at some of those!"

Shiori excitedly pointed towards a shelf that was labelled 'Dream World'. The trio hurried towards the shelves, happening to catch a glimpse of black hair.

Being the 'socialite' she was, Shiori greeted the guy, "Oh hey, fellow four-eyed comrade!"

The glasses-wearing man frowned, before chiding her, "Such deplorable manners. I believe we're not in such close terms for you to address me in such a way yet."

"But I don't even know your name."

"Reiji. Address me properly from now on," he stated sternly.

Shiori saluted.

"Sure, four-eyed comrade."

Of course, Shiori earned a death glare from the man, which she returned by sticking out her tongue at him.

Just then, Tamiko surveyed the mountain of books in front of the man. Most of them were books about the dream world. Some were about the real world and the different races, which she believed meant the types of beings that existed in this universe, including humans, animals, vampires, spirits so on so forth.

"You're investigating the worlds and the beings inhabiting them, huh?" Tamiko noted.

Reiji nodded, pushing his glasses up like some typical glasses-wearing villain would do when they were planning something.

"This world has piqued my interest. I don't recall knowing of such a world, which is unusual. There must be a connection between the four worlds that are currently known to exist."

"Four worlds, huh... Hey Rei-chan, how's the netherworld like?" Shiori asked inquisitively. With how she was using her puppy eyes, she must be thrilled at the thought of the netherworld.

"Nothing that you need to know of. After all, you're just humans," Reiji stated, crushing her hopes entirely.

"We're now the same! We're just souls. There's no differentiating you and us. Why must we have discrimination in race in this world too?" Yui declared with such fire that it was hard to be affected by her words. The three other people gaped at her, struck by how the seemingly feeble girl could utter such inspirational words.

"…You're right, Yui-chan. We're all the same," Shiori reaffirmed with a smile. However, Tamiko noticed that her smile was strangely strained, a stark contrast with her normal smiles.

Reiji appeared a little nonplussed at Yui's sudden outburst. Then, he heaved a small sigh.

"I do not wish to hear about your ramblings. Take them to someone else. Now, leave," he only said, face devoid of emotion.

"Never knew my comrade was such a meanie… You're the real heartless one! Whatever. Who cares about the netherworld anyway?" Shiori fumed, and then she stomped off. It was bizarre to see Shiori so agitated. She didn't even seem as angry just now when her underwear was seen. Surely, having her privacy invaded was more infuriating than being rejected to be entertained...

Both Yui and Tamiko sighed together. There was a silent agreement that they could never get along with the vampires here, seeing how Shiori had already been pissed off two times. Would they even find 'happiness' at this rate?

Tamiko would bet 'no'.

The two soon followed the departed girl out. The bespectacled man watched them leave while groaning.

Those three had taken up too much of his time. With the vast number of books available in this library, he was sure there was no way for him to find an answer to his questions in twelve days, so wasting time like this was indeed unnecessary. He had to investigate what was going on exactly and, if possible, find a way to get back to the real world, as quickly as possible. He didn't know why, but his gut feeling was telling him that he couldn't lose his soul just like that. He had something to do, before he could die...

Already casting the three nosy humans out of his mind, he shifted his attention back to the books.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys like the OCs so far! Always thought it would be nice if Yui had some girl friends, and so I think their friendship would be really fun to write xD There'll be some mystery surrounding their pasts, but there will be hints along the way. In fact, there already are. Hoho. This chapter is supposed to include the other four brothers but things got long, so they'll come in in the next chapter. P.S. I will try to give everyone equal time to shine, including the OCs and Yui, though it may be difficult since there are like nine characters lol (excluding Yu, but he'll be here when we need some joy in our lives :D). Feel free to let me know if you want to see more emphasis on a particular character whom I may have neglected!


	4. Curiosity P2 01

_**03\. curiosity P2: to baffle someone with abysmal questions that have no definite answers**_

It had been a while since the three were parading around the school, like soldiers marching to battle. Technically speaking, that wasn't an exaggeration, considering that their 'opponents' were six anti-social vampires and one impish dream spirit.

"I can't believe this! At this rate, I think I'll start punching the daylights out of everyone before the twelve days are up! They may be vampires, but don't they know things like basic manners? That Reiji reilly infrureites me!" Shiori continued to ramble on and on, evidently disdained.

The blonde girl accompanying them only gave a tiny, perturbed smile as she said, "Shiori-san, it's hard to take you seriously when you say that…"

As a response, Shiori only smirked, before saying, "Oh please, that's mere children's play. I make even more puns the angrier I get. Just watch me when we see more of those vampires later!"

Both girls sweat-dropped. Was Shiori really angry just now, or was that momentum sadness an illusion? Tamiko couldn't tell.

Nonetheless, it didn't matter to her whether Shiori was acting or not. They weren't friends, and would never be. Instead, those two words 'twelve days' kept echoing in her head, like a warning sign. They were really going to disappear in twelve days, weren't they?

"I'm just wondering… Aren't you two bothered about it? Us losing our souls, I mean?" she asked.

The ginger-haired girl's golden orbs flickered, blank and lost.

On the other hand, Yui smiled slightly, as she said, "I was scared at first, but then I thought if this place may be related to God. My soul already belongs to him. In that case, I'm not worried."

Right. Yui was religious. As she herself was an atheist, Tamiko's head couldn't quite wrap around the notion of submitting her soul to some random entity, even if that entity was God. Nonetheless, it was the girl's own belief, so she said nothing about it.

"But still, how much can we trust him? We don't even have any of our memories of us saying yes to him. He may have just brought us here out of his own ulterior motives," Tamiko retorted, her fists clenched and face taut. The blonde was just being naïve, she believed so. There was no such thing as 'genuine help' in this universe. People were all too busy with themselves to care about how others were faring, so why would this dream spirit be any different? Why would he want them to be happy when he didn't even know them? He was just using excuses to glorify the fact that he had taken away their souls. He could not be trusted. Nobody could be trusted.

In this world, it had always been her, herself and…

Huh?

There shouldn't be an 'and'. There was no 'and'. But inside her, Tamiko knew there was someone else. Yet, try as hard as she might, Tamiko couldn't remember. What came after that 'and'?

It sucked having her memories gone. She couldn't remember anything. She really feel like an empty vessel.

"…Why would it matter? He hasn't done anything to us. You're just being suspicious for no reason, Miko-chan," Shiori muttered, seemingly still in deep thought.

"Isn't it natural? In fact, I think you two are the weird ones. We're stuck in a random place without any memories, and there's the possibility of us disappearing, and yet you two act like it's a perfectly normal thing…" Tamiko trailed off, later remembering how she felt a sense of déjà vu earlier as well. It wasn't just Shiori and Yui; all of them were weird. They were way too calm about this, even when they found out that the other six were vampires. It was as if they had known about it before. But it was impossible, right? Normal humans wouldn't know things like these, unless they were abnormal.

As if sensing the tension, Yui spoke up, "Tamiko-san, I understand how you feel, but I'm sure Yu-san means no harm. He has answered all our questions after all. If you still feel worried, you can tell him. I'm sure he'll understand!" Shiori nodded, opting not to say anything else.

Tamiko heaved a sigh. Both Yui and Shiori were stubborn, but then again, so was she. There was no point arguing with them any longer. She would simply ask Yu herself and make him give her memories back.

Soon, the three came by an indoor gymnasium. Yui was of course excited. She ran in, her eyes continuing to shimmer amidst the lights. In fact, she blended in so much that she appeared to be the light itself.

"Wow, there's even a gym! This place really has everything! Are you guys athletic?" the girl queried energetically. It was obvious what she was trying to do—lighten up the atmosphere. But it wouldn't work. Not on Tamiko, at least.

"Not really," she said.

"Oho, but I am! Hey, we should play a game here! Volleyball or something. It'll do us good to smash some balls," Shiori immediately reacted, flexing her muscles like she was preparing a good workout.

Tamiko glanced at the beaming red-haired girl. Huh. Not only was she supposedly smart, but she was also athletic. What a well-rounder.

"Oh, really? Fufu, then I guess you can smash my balls, little bitches~"

Two figures closed in on the three girls, and soon, they saw that they were none other than the stalker and the narcissist.

Yui was now shifting herself behind the other two girls, obviously perturbed by Laito's strange speech, while Shori simply shrieked, "U-Ugh… You vampires need to stop corrupting our innocence! Come closer and you'll face my fists, you fedora pervert!" As she bellowed that, she clenched her fists, prepared for an attack.

"Oh? Sure, I like to see you try that, bitch-chan. It'll be fun to see you struggle," Laito only commented with a wry smirk, amused. Clearly, he only saw them as entertainment, and not real living beings. He was the kind of scum who Tamiko despised the most. Then again, it was somewhat relieving to see him after having spent time with Shiori and Yui, both whose brightness was almost blinding.

On the other hand, Ayato rolled his eyes, questioning with utter disinterest, "Huh… Laito, you like girls like these? Two of them are pancakes and one is barely an apple. Do you know what real melons are?"

In an instant, the three gawked at him. Something about what he said sounded really wrong.

"…Wait what? Did you just compare our breast sizes to food? Do you think we're your food?" Shiori asked with a scowl.

"Don't you know? Humans are food at the first place. Yours Truly is only letting you off for now, but that doesn't change the fact that all of you are mine!" declared the red-haired narcissist.

"Whatever you say, pervert with a food fetish," Tamiko stated, dead-panned. The other three immediately erupted into fits of laughter.

"Guess we should ask Yu-san to give Yours Truly-san melons then," Yui innocently added in, although that only served to intensify the giggling.

"Melon lover Yours Truly-san! Want some melons?" Shiori whistled, acting like an actual melon seller.

"Ah, Ayato-kun, what special tastes you have~" Laito, of course, added in the last fuel to the fire.

Of course, actions had their repercussions. An almost eerie aura invaded the atmosphere, enveloping the four targets.

Ayato hissed instinctively, muttering under his breath, "…Are you mocking Yours Truly?"

The three girls glanced at one another in unison.

 _One…_

 _Two…_

 _Three…_

 _Run!_

"Oh, little bitches, don't leave me behind!"

Unfortunately for Laito, before he could even follow them, Ayato had already pulled him back, a flame lighting up in his green-yellow eyes. Welp. Their momentum 'friendship' was broken just as it was formed. Laito silently swore to himself that he would break those three girls in the cruelest way possible for leaving him to deal with the mess.

* * *

When the three had finally evacuated from the danger zone, they immediately heaved out fits of giggles.

The red-haired girl managed to say in the midst of her sniggering, "That cracked me up so much! We're absolute geniuses together!"

"Right?" Yui acknowledged, her smile as warm as fire.

Tamiko said nothing, but her lips were curled into a grin nonetheless. Things like these could almost make her forget their predicament at hand. _Almost._

"Oh, just look! There's are even higher levels up," Shiori pointed out, taking the lead to climb up to the next level herself. They then found themselves on the rooftop. A slight breeze blew against them, and they bathed in the rare warmth of sunlight.

Yui exclaimed, "Wow! There's even a rooftop?" Tamiko, herself, wasn't expecting to see nature, but it was a refreshing sight to see something that wasn't just a wall. It was hard to believe that everything was just made up by Yu. How did that spirit even manage this?

Then, a singing voice sounded in the distance, alluring but haunting. There was the shadow of a young boy teetering on the railing, gazing down at the ground below.

 _"Welcome princess, this is the castle of dreams where no one knows_  
 _Sad things, painful things, forget about everything_  
 _I'll sing you an enchanting fairy tale"_

 _-Kirisaki Carnival, Yuki Kaji (CR: wiki/Diabolik_Lovers_Vol.2_Kanato_Sakamaki_(character_CD)#English)_

The three stayed motionless, stunned and amazed by the soothing voice that travelled with the wind. Yet, Tamiko had a gut feeling that behind the melody's deceptive beauty, the lyrics hinted at something ominous, totally unlike an enchanting fairytale.

When the boy finished, Tamiko was the first one to speak, "You have a soothing voice."

The purple-haired boy glanced back at the three blankly. Tamiko noted how he was still carrying his teddy bear around. It must be a very treasured possession of his. For some reason, a pang of sadness hit her heart whenever she caught a glimpse of that teddy bear. It felt as if something was missing inside her…

"U-Uh… It's dangerous to sit there. You should get off," Yui voiced out her concern, her eyes wandering off to the position Kanato was in.

"…It's fine," Kanato said, turning his gaze back at the scenery.

"He won't die even if he falls, Yui-chan. Just let him be," Shiori added.

Despite Shiori's attempt to assure her, Yui appeared rather hesitant. Nobody had known what the rules of that dream world were yet, but seeing how they weren't floating around like real spirits, gravity surely existed. Didn't that mean Kanato's body would be tarnished if he fell?

Then again, Tamiko didn't know how vampire bodies functioned. Considering their immortality, she supposed a fall from the third level wouldn't affect him at all. Either way, his soul wouldn't die, so she still thought Yui's worry as irrelevant. Why was she so worried, anyway?

"But still-"

"You three are disturbing Teddy and me. Get lost," Kanato finally snapped.

"Huh? We're just concerned for your wellbeing! Does vampire culture teach vampires to return kindness with insults?" Shiori huffed. At this rate, they were really going to create enemies, not friends…

Tamiko scratched her head. How was she going to tolerate twelve days of this? This whole ordeal wasn't making her happy; it was just making her more miserable than ever.

"Kindness? Such idiots… It almost makes me want to laugh at how cute you are," his sinister voice lingered, enveloping them with a blanket of darkness. He stood up on the railing, turning to face them with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Well then, see you."

Then, he dropped himself, letting the gravity of the world pull him down.

"W-Wait! No!"

The flustered Yui ran towards him, but she suddenly stumbled, her eyes widening like saucers.

"This… Why does this feel so familiar…?"

"What do you mean, Yui-chan?" Shiori asked. Yui blinked rapidly, shaking her head like she was trying to shake away all the possibly negative premonitions that she might be having.

"Nothing. We should go down to see if he's all right!"

In a flash, she ran off. Tamiko's stare was fixated on the gradually distant back of the blonde girl, the gadgets in her mind turning about, as if to decipher this sudden change of events.

She was not the only one after all. Yui had felt the same sense of familiarity just like she did. Did that mean that they had all experienced this in some way or another before…?

"Miko-chan, hurry up! We have to catch up with Yui-chan and that purple singsong freak!"

Having her train of thought snapped, Tamiko groaned and rushed to catch up with the two girls. Something was amiss, for sure.

* * *

When the three had reached the ground level, Kanato was lying flat on the ground with his eyes closed.

Frantically, Yui ran up to him, concerned.

"Are you okay? Are you okay?"

She only repeated that question again and again, clutching the cross she had.

The boy's abruptly opened, and then he snarled at her, "Shut up. You're noisy." He stood up, holding his teddy bear close to him.

"Making a fuss out of nothing… You are indeed idiotic. What does it matter anyway? We're going to properly die soon. Ah, I feel weird now that the end is close… It almost gets me excited. Teddy is excited too, aren't you?" he mumbled as he stared at his teddy bear with a tender expression on his face.

Sadness clouded Yui's eyes as she whispered, "How can you say this? Such a thing… It's not worth getting excited for."

 _Death._ It was such a surreal thought, even though Tamiko knew she had already died beforehand. But in twelve days' time, she was really going to bid the world farewell, with her memories gone nonetheless. How could the boy even suggest that this was excitable?

But then, as she observed the vampire's extremely pale skin and deceptively youthful appearance, she remembered he was an immortal. What troubles did he face that a normal mortal like her wouldn't?

Now, she really started to wonder. As screwed up as the vampires could be, they couldn't be born the way they were. What caused them to become like this? How about Yui and Shiori? What made them retain their bubbly spirits, even at times like these?

What about… her?

Who was she?

And as if to reiterate the differences between them, Kanato stated, "Mortals like you won't understand." He then walked off, his lonely silhouette gradually getting further until they could see him no longer.

"This is getting kinda depressing, huh…" Shiori murmured under her breath. The breeze remained ever so gentle, yet winds continued to howl in their conflicted hearts.

* * *

After a while, they returned to their exploring again. Strangely enough, none of them had mentioned the earlier incident, instead opting to talk about more trivial things like the scenery and their hobbies. They mattered nothing to Tamiko, but she went along with it anyway. She needed distractions, else she would keep thinking and thinking.

"Oh hey Suba-chan!" Shiori greeted the albino, who was staring at a garden of white roses. The albino turned around with eyes that could kill.

"Don't call me Suba-chan like that kid!" he yelled.

With an innocent smile, Shiori said, "Kidnapper-kun, then."

Yui was about to laugh, but she suppressed her chuckling at the moment Subaru's hostile gaze turned against her. Immediately, she bowed repeatedly, all her bows a perfect ninety degree.

"I-I'm really sorry! I really thought you kidnapped us, because well… I wasn't expecting it to be a cat, of all things," she apologised profusely.

"…Tch, whatever. Just go away and leave me alone," Subaru said, already turning his head away from the three.

"Guess unfriendliness lies in the vampire blood… Or are you guys just being shy? Eh? Is this the vampires' way of being shy?" Shiori questioned, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. Of course, Subaru would react to that. He was already stomping to her with clenched fists.

"Shy? You're pissing me off! Think I can't beat you up just because you're a girl? Women are always so…"

The three exchanged furtive glances once again. It seemed like it had been a routine for them ever since they encountered vampires who looked like they were about to blow them up. And so, after a countdown, they ran for their lives again, fleeing from the raging albino. An angry vampire was never a good thing.

* * *

A/N: On an additional note, I slightly edited the last three chapters but I didn't make any big changes that warrant a re-read. I hope I balance the humour and the more serious part of the story well enough since it has always been a challenge for me to do that. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The next few chapters will practically be Yu forcing the peeps to do random activities. I have a few ideas in mind but if you guys have suggestions, feel free to let me know as well. :D


	5. Comprehension 01

WARNING: There are many mentions of religion in this chapter. Note that none of it is meant to offend anyone.

* * *

 _ **04\. comprehension: to thoroughly understand something**_

There was a flash of light.

Yui was in the garden with her new friends, Tamiko and Shiori, before she felt like she was traversing through time and space for a split second. After the light had dissipated, the familiar wooden walls of the hall they were previously in came into view; the bushes and trees of the garden had long disappeared from her vision.

 _W-What happened?_

She stood, immobile, unable to process the sudden change of scenery. Was this what Yu meant when he said that he would be able to summon them later? Did they actually teleport?

But somehow, Yui didn't find this sensation all that foreign. That sudden light… She had seen it before somewhere.

Where had she seen it?

"E-Eh? How did we come back here?" a confused voice exclaimed. Yui turned to the two girls beside her. Shiori was blinking and turning her head left and right continuously, as if unable to believe that they were really 'back'. On the other hand, Tamiko shrugged.

"He did say he would summon us," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Still…! It feels all so surreal! I didn't even get to enjoy the moment of teleporting!" the perky girl exclaimed, her eyes glimmering with curiosity and adventure. Somehow, Shiori had the magical ability of infecting the people around with her joy. It was what made Yui feel at ease in this extremely intimidating and bizarre place. In contrast, Tamiko was more stoic. She never really said much, and even when she did, she only threw some cynical or philosophical comments in. Her gloomy aura echoed pretty much all of the guys' demeanours, though. In fact, it appeared that Shiori and Yui were the only anomalies among the nine.

That would never faze Yui, however. She supposed this was because of the past misery they had experienced, even though they had now forgotten all about it. Memories might leave, but the pain would always stay.

Then, there was only one thing she could do. A silent resolve stemmed inside her; she didn't know how, but she was going to make them feel 'happiness'. It would be too much of a sad ending if they all disappeared without even learning to experience true joy, after all. Besides, it would be possible with Yu around. He was like a real God. He made the impossible possible, didn't he?

Hopefully, he could make them happy too.

Breaking away from her train of thought, she scanned her surroundings. Not only were the two girls with her, but even the other six guys were around too, and they were all sitting in a circle. The six looked equally baffled as the girls were.

"Yoohoo! How's your free time, everyone?" a young boy chirped. Everybody immediately diverted their attention to the foreign boy.

He appeared to be an average boy not older than 16 years old. His ruffled, brown hair and lively, brown orbs reflected an air of mischief, very befitting for a teenager who should be enjoying the time of youth. His presence was really jarring against the six vampires.

"Huh? Who the hell are you?" Subaru asked. Yui instinctively flinched at his voice. She still hadn't really gotten over the fact that she had accidentally mistaken him as a kidnapper, and judging from how he would send her glares time to time, she believed he hadn't too.

"I'm Yu! This is my original form as a human."

So it was Yu, after all. Yui smiled to herself slightly. It was no surprise, actually, because the feats that Yu could make never ceased to amaze her. From creating a whole academy to shapeshifting, while dedicating all of his power to making other people feel happiness again… He was like a real God, not just in the abilities, but also in the values.

"So you can shapeshift like us too, huh? …How interesting," Shu mumbled.

"Bingo! Isn't it cool? In this world, anything that you imagine can become reality," Yu said.

Taking in the youthful appearance of the boy and the sleek texture of the wooden floor beneath her feet, Yui's eyes sparkled. The dream world was such a mysterious place, yet an intriguing one nonetheless.

"That's not the point now. Why are we suddenly here?" Reiji questioned, pushing up his glasses.

"I summoned your souls. Since you're in my dream, I technically have control on everything you do, except for your thoughts. Which means I can summon you whenever I like!" Yu explained.

 _So that's what he meant by 'summoning' us?_

Kanato groaned as he hissed under his teeth, "I was having a good time with Teddy until you disrupted me. How are you going to pay for this?" Yui's eyebrow twitched a little. That short, purple-haired boy had always unnerved Yui ever since his whole 'suicide' act. Sure, the other vampires did have their problems, but she couldn't understand how he didn't regard his life with any importance at all. Surely, life was precious…

She knew that, yet a forbidden thought echoed in the back of her mind.

 _Then, why did you give up? Why did you allow this spirit to take your soul away? Why did your trust in Him waver?_

She shuddered, the weight of her sin looming over her. At the same time, she comforted herself with weak-willed words.

… _No. Perhaps, this is His will. He has come, just like He promised. Just in a different way…_

Then, her gaze was fixated on the young boy in the center of attention.

"Look, Kana-chan, don't you want to make friends? I mean, Teddy has been your only friend for so long…" Yu mumbled.

The purple-haired boy's frown deepened as he shrieked, "Don't call me Kana-chan! And why would I want to be friends with you idiots?!"

Unfazed, Yu continued to grin, saying with a hearty laugh, "Okay then, Kana-tan. Let's do our best together."

"You…!"

Coughing to break the rapidly forming tension, Reiji asked, "That aside, I need to ask you a few questions."

"Indeed. The earlier clarification isn't enough," Tamiko echoed his words. Seeing how the two were so inquisitive about their situation, Yui also nodded firmly, her eyes burning with curiosity.

 _I… I have to ask that question after all._

"Oh c'mon! At this rate, I'm gonna spend one day clarifying about everything! You guys only have a limited amount of time, you know?" Yu lamented.

"Curiosity is gonna kill the _cat_ , guys," Shiori added intentionally.

…Silence. Well, mostly silence, that was. The only person laughing was Yu himself.

"N-Nice one, Shio-chan! I think we'll get along just fine!" Yu cried out in the midst of fits of laughter.

Sometimes, Yui couldn't understand how Shiori could try to be funny even in the wrong situations. That was some remarkable ability, almost as if it had been specially trained. In some regard, Yu and Shiori were rather similar.

"Heh… Apple-chan sure is feeling funny today," Laito commented, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Stop giving me weird nicknames like that narcissist king. Henlai," Shiori groaned.

"No matter what, I cannot place my trust in an unknown creature. For all we know, you may just be fooling us," Reiji insisted, ignoring the bickering pair. His tone was stern and firm, not leaving any room for retort.

Heaving a great sigh, Yu surrendered, "Okay okay fine! I'll answer all your questions, but after our introductions. Save your questions later. For now, you have to cooperate."

Reiji looked disgruntled, but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, so first and foremost, I want to introduce the rules of this world, which you'll have to obey," he declared.

"…Rules? Tch, do you think I'll follow something so stupid?" Subaru immediately hissed.

With a menacing smirk, Yu chirped, "Well, you don't have to, but I'm the current King, at least in this dream. Which means, it's entirely possible for me to make your life a living hell for the next twelve days if you don't follow what I say."

"Tch… What nonsense!"

"Yours Truly will never be bounded by rules!"

"That's tyrancy," Tamiko also added.

 _But, if the rules are meant to protect us, aren't they good then?_

"Oh, shut up you all! I know what I'm doing! Oh, and Aya-chan? I won't give you your favourite takoyaki if you don't. In fact, you'll never taste your beloved takoyaki again. And you'll be banned from the gymnasium. As for you, Suba-chan, I'll transform you into a mouse."

 _He likes takoyaki, huh._

Somehow, that fact didn't come off as a surprise to Yui. Somehow, she could almost guess that takoyaki was his favourite.

Sulking, Ayato muttered, "…Whatever. Yours Truly will show you benevolence."

"How honoured, Aya-sama," Yu said with a victorious smirk.

On the other hand, Subaru yelled, "Damn it!"

"Wow… You can do that, Yu-chan? Amazing! Guess we can never get into Yu-chan's bad side," Shiori marveled, her expression not at all faltering.

"Perks of being a dream spirit, I guess. Anyway, first things first. No destructing property or your bodies. I'm looking at you Suba-chan."

"Hah? No way! I'll destroy this building for you!"

"You do that, and you know what I'll do…" Yu hissed under his breath, his small, brown eyes narrowing.

 _Yu-san sure is scary when he's mad…_

Naturally, Subaru cursed, while Reiji shook his head as he mumbled, "I can't believe we vampires are being controlled by an impish kid…"

Observing the scene ahead of her, Tamiko remarked, "Your plan to give us happiness doesn't seem to be working, little one. They look like they're ready to burn you, in fact."

"Oh it'll be fine Miko-chan! They say hatred comes with love! And love comes with happiness!" Yu exclaimed, his enthusiasm never once wavering. Nobody knew what he had up his sleeve, but Yui thought it was amazing how he held such strong conviction towards his mission. It did sound ridiculous and unrealistic, but if it came from him, she could almost believe it was possible.

"Number two. You guys must cooperate with any activity I'm planning."

"Sounds troublesome," Shu protested, although with how monotonous his voice sounded, it didn't seem like he cared much at that point of time.

"You must join, Shu-chan! If not, I'll destroy your mp3 player!"

Shu remained silent, opting to dig his earphones deeper into his ears.

"If this isn't tyrancy, I don't know what is…" Tamiko murmured.

"Number three. No sexual harassment. I'm looking at you Lai-chan. And no violence as well."

For the first time, Laito huffed, "How boring… You must not have any experience with real happiness huh, Midget-chan?"

"Midget-chan?! I may be small, but I have a big heart! Okay, never mind that! Look, Lai-chan, your kind of happiness is screwed up. And I mean, really screwed up," Yu persisted.

Laito's sinister green eyes narrowed. All traces of what could be perceived as 'playfulness' had vanished, and all that was left was the malice inside his irises.

His eyebrows scrunched, he questioned in a low voice, "…Who are you to tell me that?"

"What?" Yu hesitated, the liveliness of his eyes fading slightly.

"You sure act like a know-it-all, thinking that you know what's good for us. But Midget-chan, you're just forcing your own ideals onto us, you know?" Laito proclaimed, his seemingly soft and calm voice possessing an unusual strength to it.

Yet, the declaration sounded false, Yui thought. There was no way what Laito perceived as happiness could be true happiness. It was simply a false belief that Yui couldn't accept no matter what. All Yu wanted to do was to correct that wrong.

"Laito-kun, you shouldn't say that to Yu-san! He's just trying to make us happy after all!" Yui stood up for Yu with her fists clenched.

"It's okay, Yui-chan. Lai-chan, I'll make you bite your words later. Just you wait," Yu said, his eyes blazing with determination. Laito scoffed in return.

"By the way, you guys can still eat, drink and sleep, although it's no longer a necessity. How do I say it… I created your bodies such that while they're empty vessels, they can still process normal emotions, like pleasure when Aya-chan's eating takoyaki. That's the only way you guys can feel happiness, you see," Yu clarified.

"Stop calling me Aya-chan! I'm Ayato-sama!"

"Yeah yeah, Aya-sama."

If looks could injure, the redhead's glare would have penetrated through the brown-haired boy's whole body. Nonetheless, Yu's smile never once faltered.

Instead, he exclaimed afterwards, "So now, we'll move on to intros. But since intros are boring, how about we make it more fun through a game? For instance, blow wind blow."

And as if influenced by the ebullience of the dream spirit, Shiori perked up and said, "Oh, that game! I played it before!"

Yui nodded along in recognition.

"Me too, in church…"

 _It's a fun game. Everyone in church loved it. I'm sure this game will allow us to become closer too…_

With such a thought in mind, Yui brightened up, gaining faith in Yu's currently vague plan on giving them happiness.

"Yours Truly is not playing that stupid game!" Ayato bellowed.

"Teddy and I have no time for this!" Kanato bellowed along.

"Running is troublesome…" Shu muttered.

"Sounds stupid. Tch, I'm not doing this shit," Subaru protested.

"…What a waste of time," Reiji echoed their reluctance.

"Hmm… Why not?" Laito was the only accepting one, though he sounded more bemused than interested.

As if knowing their reactions would be as such, Yu smirked as he said, "Well, it's up to you guys whether you want to partake or not. But remember what I said."

In an instant, the five vampires' shoulders sagged, sighing in eerie unison.

"What's that?" Tamiko questioned, her head tilting slightly. The other two girls gaped at her. Wasn't blow wind blow a typical icebreaker game? Surely she would know it from attending school.

"Eh right, Miko-chan won't know this. Well, time for you to experience it! Basically, we'll sit in a circle, and there'll be this one guy in the center. He'll say 'blow wind blow' and the rest will ask 'blow what'? The guy will say 'blow xxx'. Xxx is like a certain trait, for instance those who have glasses. Then those people who have glasses will have to run and switch places. The latest person will become the new person in the center," Yu explained, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Tamiko nodded slowly, saying as soon as Yu finished his explanation, "I want to try it."

"Miko-chan, you're unexpectedly fired up, aren't you?" Shiori teased the brunette, although of course, the brunette didn't react to her teasing.

"Anyway, since you're in a circle and I'm the center person, I'll show a demo. You have to introduce yourself and something interesting about you every time you take center. For me, I'm Yu. I'm a dream spirit. I love animals. Okay?"

"…"

Everybody stared blankly at him.

"Er, okay. So blow wind blow?"

"…"

Silence again.

"Guys, you should say 'blow what' after that!" Yu yelled.

"Oh, blow what?" the girls asked in unison. The guys remained silent, as if not wanting to be involved in such a childish act.

"Gosh, you guys are worse than kids… I could play this game properly when I was like six, you know," Yu grumbled. The sight of the pouting boy made Yui chuckle slightly, though she also felt sympathy for him at the same time.

"No way I'm saying something as stupid as that," Subaru groaned.

"This is idiotic," Kanato sentenced him.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Yu screamed, "Ugh, I give up on you all! Okay, blow those who have red hair!"

Immediately, as if her body was moving based on her reflexes, Shiori scuttled out of her spot, her yellow orbs darting about to see if there were any empty seats left. The other two redheads continued to be immobile.

"Red heads! You guys are supposed to move!" the scarlet haired girl yelled.

"And what makes you think I'll move, bitch-chan?"

"You will not make Yours Truly move, apple."

"Gah! It's impossible to play with these fellows!" Shiori lamented, plopping onto the ground like a falling sack of apples. Yui sweat dropped. At this rate, this simple game of blow wind blow was going to bring them apart, not closer… Was Yu's 'plan' really going to work out?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Laito had moved after much pushing and prodding from both Shiori and Yu. That left Ayato behind.

"Aya-chan, you're 'it'. Move to the center."

As if waiting for this moment, Ayato stood up, his green eyes glinting.

"Time for my brilliant introduction! Call me Ayato-sama. There's nothing uninteresting about Yours Truly. However, Yours Truly does like takoyaki, and anyone who gives takoyaki to Yours Truly shall be rewarded," he proclaimed with pride enough to feed a million soldiers—well, if only pride was food.

A small smile surfaced on the blond girl's face. For some reason, Ayato reminded her of a child, one who demanded attention and love. He didn't seem nearly as hostile as the other guys were. At least, that was what she thought.

"Yes yes, Almighty Ayato-sama," Yui said, resisting the urge to chuckle. However, the sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by the rest, and with the exception of the listless teddy bear lover, the rest either burst into laughter or had faint smiles on their faces.

"Y-Your graciousness is overwhelming, Ayato-sama," Shiori added, though she didn't quite succeed at stifling her giggles. Nonetheless, the haughty Ayato seemed rather satisfied as he nodded at the two.

His ego boosted, he shouted, prolonging certain syllables for dramatic effect, "Bloooow wind bloooow!"

This nonetheless came as a shock to the rest. Everyone gaped at him, as if still unable to believe that 'Ayato-sama' just said what he said.

"…What?" Ayato hissed under his breath upon taking in the cold response of his audience.

"The one who says this is stupid is doing the stupid thing now. Bravo, Melon Lover," Tamiko said, clapping her hands in the most disinterested way possible.

Green eyes stared against black orbs. He furrowed for his eyebrows for a moment, but later the tension in his face relaxed, and his lips quirked into a wry grin.

"Ah right, that's it. Let's blow the pancakes and the apple then."

Although the three pretty much sent death glares at the one who gave them such horrendous nicknames, two of them still moved anyway. Shiori and Yui switched spots immediately, leaving Tamiko to be the odd one out.

"…I'm actually getting used to these horrid nicknames now… Terrible," Shiori groaned.

"You're not the only one, Shiori-san…" Yui sighed. The nicknames felt too familiar for her liking, which was odd. Nicknames like these shouldn't feel like the norm.

"I refuse to be known as such," insisted the brunette nonetheless, standing and walking away from her spot without hesitation.

"Name's Tamiko. I suppose I'm good at singing. I guess I like it. I dunno if there's anything else since my mind is a mess thanks to a certain someone," she said sharply, her eyes fixated on a specific sheepish young boy.

"Aww, that sucks, doesn't it?" Yu feigned ignorance, his cheeky grin never once fading.

The tension in the air didn't disappear entirely, but surely the ice was dissolving slowly. At least, everyone didn't look like they were all trapped in their own worlds, ignoring the surroundings around them. Although, it did look like the sleeping beauty and the teddy bear lover were still the same as before.

"Blow wind blow. Blow everyone who has a face."

The two girls scurried, along with Ayato who had seemed unusually perked up after his previous turn as 'it'. However, the other five remained still.

"Move, or else..." Yu hissed.

It was a threat.

Reluctantly, four of them began to shift their positions around. The only motionless person left was none other than the sleeping beauty, who didn't appear keen at all to move from his position.

"Oh Shu-chan, you're it!" Yu exclaimed.

"…What?" Shu groaned, finally opening his eyes. His cold, blue orbs met brown irises with piercing force.

"Wait, were you sleeping through the whole thing? Shu-chan!" Yu grumbled. Yui supposed his temper must have reached its limit after having to deal with six very uncooperative guys. Tamiko was thankfully and surprisingly cooperative, even if she was somewhat slow with picking up things.

"Stop yelling. You make my ears hurt," Shu whispered, pretty much sleep-walking to the center.

Rolling his eyes, Yu said, "Please introduce yourself now, Sleeping Beauty."

"…Shu."

"That's it?" Yu exclaimed, widening his eyes in utter dismay.

"What?"

"Say something interesting about yourself!" the young boy cried, absolutely exasperated. The spectators could only watch the exchange, shaking their heads consecutively.

"…I play the piano. Stop bothering me now."

Taking in a deep breath, Yu said, "Okay. Now blow."

"Blow…?" Shu asked, as if he was a lost child who didn't understand Japanese.

"Blow a particular group of people, you idiot!"

"Blow humans."

The humans scurried across; Yui took Tamiko's spot, Tamiko took Shiori's while Shiori took Yui's. On the other hand, Shu continued to stand at the center, his eyes half-closed.

"You're supposed to take their place!" Yu shouted again.

Shu yawned and muttered, "…Too troublesome."

His eyes slanting into menacing slits, Yu threatened again, "Gah! Get your butt moving or you know what I'll do—destroy the whole music room with your mp3 player!"

Finally, the sloth moved, albeit with the speed of a snail.

* * *

The rest of the game continued like this, mostly with the vampires coming out to the center (especially Shu). By the end of it all, Yu was on the ground, a rain cloud looming over him.

"What a mess… Usually people laugh after this game but you guys just drive me nuts…" Yu whined.

Indeed, it was a very atypical game of Blow Wind Blow. Yet, Yui couldn't help but smile at the sight of the now misshapen circle. Even if it was just a small step, she was sure they had gotten closer, albeit in an unconventional manner.

"What a boring game. Even catching is much better than this," Ayato commented.

Reiji massaged his temples, as if relieved that they were done with the horrible game.

"Don't suggest weird ideas, Ayato. Now that that fiasco is done with, you should answer our questions as promised," he said.

Yu nodded as he said, "Of course. So what questions do you inquisitive dweebs have?"

The two most curious ones fell into an uncanny silence, like they were contemplating of where to start asking from. However, Yui only had one question that was at the verge of bursting out from her.

"Um… Does God exist?" she asked with slight hesitation, but nonetheless with firm determination.

The silence followed after was stiff. Then, Laito's voice broke through the still air.

"Oh, humans with their religions… I can't wait to see you fall into despair after you see that the God you so believe in doesn't exist," he cried out, a sadistic grin forming on his face.

Yui's fists were clenched, her small body shaking. As much as she wanted to know the answer, she also feared the truth. 'What if God doesn't exist?' had never come into her mind before. As a follower of Him, she had always believed he was there, maybe not physically, but he was spiritually.

"And if I say no, what would you do, Yui-chan? Give up on Him?"

Yu's question hit her more than she thought it would. But then, her hand held the cross she had with her firmly.

"…No. No matter what, I'll always believe He exists," she declared with refound resolve. Because God gave her more than just a comforting presence. He had taught her values, gave her principles and carved a path out of her life. Even if she had forgotten everything else about herself, He was the only one still there in her, guiding her through her new life. Therefore, there was no way He didn't exist.

Tamiko sighed, saying, "How foolish. I simply can't understand such a thought. But I do not have any right to force you to believe what you don't want to."

"How anti-climatic…" Laito whined, yet his eyes softened momentarily, staring vacantly off the distance, as if he was deep in thought.

Yu smiled knowingly, before he finally answered her question, "Well, frankly speaking, we don't know too. True enough, Heaven, Netherworld and the dream world exist, but they're drastically different from what they are seen as in the human world. If there's a God, or even Gods, they would exist in Heaven. And I don't know that much about Heaven, since dream spirits are always bound in the dream world. Guess you won't ever found out either, since your soul will be absorbed here."

"Ah…"

The thought she wanted to bury away had risen up again. She had really given up her soul to an unknown entity who wasn't Jesus. This was the heaviest sin she could have committed.

 _But, if I was here for a purpose…_

She looked up at the faces around her. She might not have known them in her past life, but for some reason, they reminded her of those who had been abandoned by the world. She wanted to protect these people around her. She wanted to give happiness to these people who had suffered, before they would eventually vanish into thin air.

The weight of her sin didn't feel so heavy anymore. Clutching her fists, she was resolved to fulfill her last duty.

"Okay, next question!" Yu had moved on, but the last gaze he had sent her was filled with trust and faith. Was she simply imagining it?

Nonetheless, she nodded, both for herself and for him.

This time, Reiji demanded, "Return me back to the world where I was from, with my memories intact. This is simply a waste of my time."

"I agree with him. It doesn't feel right with my memories gone like this," Tamiko concurred.

Yu's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.

"I cannot do that," he said.

"Are you acknowledging the fact that you kept us here without our consent?" Reiji questioned, his black orbs piercing through Yu's brown ones.

Unfazed, the boy explained, "Your original selves consented to this. Also, according to the rules of the dream world, consent of the knowledgeable is superior over the ignorant's. You should respect the decision that you originally made yourselves."

As if sensing the hostility coming from both Tamiko and Reiji, he continued, "Besides, I can't give your memories back even if I want to. You are the ones locking away your memories yourself."

"Wait, what does that mean?" Tamiko asked.

"There's a reason why some of you remember certain things. For Yui-chan, she remembers her faith. But you guys can't remember your pasts simply because you don't want to. I only provided a platform for you to lock away the memories you wanted to forget, but ultimately, the ones who can retrieve them are you yourselves."

 _So… I forgot my past because I wanted to?_

She ransacked every part inside her in hope to find the memories she had locked away. Yet, she couldn't find any.

It was like she had forbid her consciousness to access the darker areas of her memories without conscious control.

 _No way…_

"How can we believe you?" Reiji asked placidly, but there were tremors in his normally calm voice.

"If you're so insistent, I can manipulate your dreams in your sleep such that you'll see flashbacks of your past later. But like I said, it's up to you whether you can remember your pasts or not."

Yui observed the reactions of the people around her. Shu was still asleep, probably disregarding the spirit's words entirely. Kanato's eyes were focused on Teddy, not at all concerned about his lost memories. Subaru was just cursing under his breath, but he didn't seem inclined in accepting the new proposal. Tamiko and Reiji were both silent, probably contemplating their next course of action. Shiori's glazed eyes were empty, her usual lively smile out of sight.

The blonde fell still, her locks hiding away any sort of expression she might make. What should she do? Did she really want to approach her past, that unknown variable?

An unsettling fear creeped inside her. Sure, she was terrified. Maybe it was a topic she shouldn't touch, just like the topic of God's existence. She shook her head. She'd rather stay oblivious than learn the truth in the hard way.

But, the two more stubborn ones didn't waver from their resolve. Both of them nodded.

"So be it," they said.

"…I don't get it," Shiori whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. Yui could barely hear her, if it was not for their close proximity.

"Why would you want to remember the past when you wanted to forget it at the first place? You'll just cause yourself more grief…"

Tamiko, who was at her side, had an unusual faint smile on her face.

"If both forgetting and remembering suck, then I'd rather disappear knowing it all."

A spark lit up inside the once hesitant girl's heart. She recalled the doubts inside her.

 _Why did you waver? Why did you betray God?_

The weight of sin on her still hadn't quite vanished, even though it had lightened. But, she was sure about something else. If she was going to make a mistake, she wanted to know the cause of that mistake itself, rather than cower in a shelter of ignorance and be swallowed up by her own guilt.

 _God, is this the final path you've given me?_

"Me too. I want to see my past," Yui proclaimed loudly.

* * *

A/N: The start is going to be really slow, both in the romance and mystery departments. But, be rest assured that everything will be fleshed out thoroughly. It's funny how the brothers manage to transform Blow Wind Blow into such a troublesome game lolol. And now, three of our characters are gonna seek their pasts out. Will that be a good thing, or a bad one? Hope y'all have enjoyed this chapter! :D


	6. Remembrance 01

_**05: remembrance: to recall something, usually a fond memory**_

The boy massaged his temples as he heaved a resigned sigh.

"Oh well, this is unavoidable… Fine. I presume the rest of you don't want a hand in this?"

There was silence—some distracted and others lost in their own trains of thought. Yu sighed once more.

"This is going to take a long time…" he murmured under his breath.

Immediately afterwards, he perked up as he proclaimed, "Now we're done with all that nonsense, we'll be moving on to my favourite segment- Hide and Seek!"

* * *

 _Yui/1: Yui's childhood_

" _5… 4… 3… 2… 1…!"_

 _Six-year-old Yui ran with all her might as the pursuer started counting down, his ominous voice booming in the silent air. Her shoes treading against the concrete floor of the church lightly, she maneuvered her way past the church walls with familiarity and ease. Other children had fled alongside her, most outrunning her. No surprise._

 _There were heavy footsteps behind her. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest. She panted heavily, but attempted to calm her breathing down in order not to alert the predator. He was a fit and tall boy who could capture her without much effort, but if she concealed herself well, she could escape his detection._

 _Frantically searching for a hiding place, she located a cupboard and immediately locked herself in, stilling herself as much as possible. The footsteps came closer and closer, until they finally faded away into the distance._

 _She heaved a sigh of relief and let herself out of the confines of the cupboard. Surveying her surroundings, she crept out of her hiding place cautiously._

" _Aaaaaah!"_

 _An exaggerated yell reverberated in the silence. Her ears perked up. Another kid ran towards her direction and eventually overtook her._

 _Instinctively, she ran, but the predator eventually caught up to her. Before she could react, the boy tapped her, bouncing about like a frisky puppy._

" _Found you."_

 _She groaned. She was the first one to be caught again, this time by bad luck. She laughed at the predicament she was facing and the boy laughed too, before both of them ran off to catch the other children. She never did catch a single one, but after hearing the boisterous laughter they shared at the end of the game, she thought she didn't really mind after all._

* * *

Her pink irises widened upon her recollection of that particular scene. Sure, she had a vague notion about bits and pieces of information which she didn't quite remember, but this was the first time she recalled a scene so vividly. Was this a sign of her 'unlocking' her memories? Yet, what was the trigger to this occurrence?

Simultaneous groans reverberated in the confines of the hall while she dwelled in her doubts. The most audible protest of them all came from Ayato, who was clicking his tongue upon the announcement.

"Children's games like these are not befitting for the status of Yours Truly! Find games that aren't lame!" the redhead demanded.

" _Games_ that aren't _lame_ … Hey, you're surprisingly punny, Aya-chan!" Shiori chortled, her euphoria amplified after finding a fellow pun buddy. Needless to say, her new pun buddy didn't look too amused.

Glaring at the audacious girl who had referred to him by such a term, Ayato lashed out at her, "Punny? How dare you insult Yours Truly?"

Sticking her chest out, the scarlet-haired girl pushed her glasses up before embarking on a confident speech in blinding conviction, "Oh no! How would I, a mere peasant, dare to defy Lord Ayato-sama? Just now, I was complimenting you, you see. The ability to make puns is the highest form of intelligence, because that means that you understand how to do wordplay and you can evoke laughter out of your audience at the same time. Therefore, it means you are smart in the funny manner. So, Ayato-sama, you should be proud of being punny, you see!"

With the exception of Ayato, everyone else was pretty much rolling their eyes. To everyone's shock, however, the narcissist was actually paying very close attention to what his fellow redhead had to say, and even nodded along to her words.

"At least someone knows her position. Of course, Yours Truly is the greatest, the puniest of them all!" Ayato declared, his ego inflated to the maximum.

There was stifled sniggering at the back, mainly coming from Laito, Shu, Yu and Yui.

Inching closer to the two girls, Shiori whispered, "Melon man is surprisingly simple, but at least now we know how to deal with one vampire. If the real world had any, I would be the peacemaker between the human and vampire races."

Tamiko shrugged.

"I guess this information would be useful if we are to stick with them for twelve days," she said.

Shiori's eyes slanted into slits, her ego inflating as quickly as Ayato's was.

"All right! Since they're always all by their lonesome, I guess I should befriend them all. Spread love not hate, right? What do you guys say?"

"I'm not your friend, and I have no interest in involving myself with such matters," came Tamiko's curt reply as she distanced herself from the duo, her brown locks trailing behind her. Amidst the fluorescent lights that lit up the hall, her shadow almost appeared forlorn. The redhead frowned, about to open her mouth before she was cut off by the dream spirit.

"Nice to see you two 'getting along', but the activity has to go on now. Time is ticking!"

Reiji furrowed his eyebrows, again questioning his doubt, "Even if I'm agreeing to this, I still do not understand how this will make us feel this emotion of 'happiness', as you proposed. This plan of making us do meaningless activities is ridiculous."

Yui shook her head, the church children's laughter still lingering at the back of her head.

She stepped out, offering her own explanation, "I think I know what Yu-san's going for. Games… I played a lot of them in my childhood. The simplicity of being able to play with friends is what made me feel really happy."

The group looked at the blonde wordlessly, some raising their eyebrows and others sending more contemplative glances.

Yu clapped his hands together.

"Finally, someone who understands me!"

Tamiko tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Is that really the case?" she asked. Yui blinked at the brunette.

"Tamiko-san, don't you remember playing childhood games before?"

The brunette shook her head. Both Yui and Shiori exchanged looks. Yui's gut feeling told her that it might have to do with the brunette's past.

"Sleep is the best happiness. That is pointless," Shu stated.

"Happiness is me being with Teddy…" Kanato muttered, more to himself than to others.

Ayato stuck his chest out, proclaiming, "Happiness is all of you groveling under my feet!"

"Corrupting and breaking you… Ah, that's real happiness, fufu," Laito added, simpering to himself.

Reiji sighed as he said, "I'm not joining in this ridiculous discussion."

Subaru folded his arms, clicking his tongue.

"Getting away from all of you would be happiness."

"Aw, don't be such a tsundere, Suba-chan~" Yu chirped in.

Subaru scoffed but said nothing, probably remembering Yu's threat of turning him into a mouse.

"Anyway, let's decide a catcher. Since we have nine people, we'll have two catchers! How about Lai-chan and Aya-chan?"

Yui gawked at the devious dream spirit. Those two were predators of the finest kind, yet Yu had assigned them the roles of the catchers. The game would be over in a flash.

As expected, there was a sinister glint in Laito's eyes as he declared, "Hmm, I don't mind. It's fun to catch my prey."

Ayato rubbed his hands together, his lips curling into a gleeful grin.

"Yours Truly will catch all of you!"

Yu nodded, satisfied.

"I'll be monitoring the game. Those who are out will have fun with me," he added.

"What perfect motivation," Reiji noted in a dry tone. The boy chuckled, flashing a megawatt grin.

"I know that gives you guys the motivation!"

The countdown started from 100. Subaru darted his way out of the hall with alarming speed, clearly the one dreading spending time with Yu the most. Reiji was impassive when he moved out, while Kanato and Shu took all the time they wanted. Meanwhile, the three girls were off in a spree.

"It's not feasible to hide in a group, so we should split up. All the best, Miko-chan and Yui-chan!" Shiori piped as she ran off to one direction. Yui and Tamiko shared a silent look, nodding before diverging into their individual paths.

* * *

For what seemed like an eternity, Yui kept running until she came across the cooking room. She had come across it during the tour with Shiori and Tamiko, but they didn't really go in to take a look.

Carefully opening the door, she observed the surroundings. In contrast to the sleek white walls of the corridors, images of food of all kinds decorated the walls.

She took a peek of the contents of the fridge. To her surprise, there were already all sorts of ingredients inside, from flour and eggs to vegetables and meat, as well as other ready-made food like sushi. Moving on, she surveyed the shelves and cabinets. They were filled with various snacks and other condiments. The cooking room was basically a haven for all food lovers.

Her curiosity piqued, she reached out to take a box of Pepero and bit onto one of the biscuit sticks. Chewing the substance carefully, the taste of chocolate spread over her tongue.

 _So it is true after all… We can actually taste!_

Her excitement was dampened when the thud of footsteps came closer and closer. The blonde perked up, immediately crouching down the kitchen table. It wasn't the most ideal hiding place ever, but it would do as a temporary one. Keeping her hands together, she hoped she wouldn't be found…

The footsteps ceased. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked out, only to face a pair of vicious green eyes.

"Do you think you can hide from Yours Truly?" the menacing voice boomed in the silence. She instinctively jumped back, yelping. Fear gripped her, numbing her senses. His eyes lit up upon sensing her tension.

"That scream… It excites me," he cooed.

"A-Ayato-kun…!" she whimpered. She willed her body to move, yet her limbs were frozen in place when she landed her eyes upon those green orbs. Those green eyes were familiar. This situation was all the more familiar. The realisation hit her like a sledgehammer.

 _Does this vague sense of déjà vu have something to do with my memories? Maybe I had met Ayato-kun before, for instance-_

Her head began to throb, stopping her train of thought entirely. Something inside her was restraining herself from thinking. Why? Why couldn't she think-

When she recovered from her daze, Ayato was still looking at her, the malice gone from his eyes.

"Make me takoyaki," he commanded. There was no room for protest.

Numbly, she murmured, "Okay…" Her thoughts were still a blur, and she didn't feel like going against his wishes. She didn't want to see those eyes again.

She crawled out of her hiding spot, glancing back at the redhead who had fallen silent after his request. Somehow, she wondered if he felt the same way as she did.

"Mmm… Delicious," the redhead muttered as he ate the takoyaki with a satisfied smile on his face. Yui beamed upon seeing his facial expression. This boy who looked so contented just with having takoyaki… Was he really the same person as the one earlier on?

"Ayato-kun, you really do like takoyaki, huh?" she asked.

"Of course. It's food worthy for a king," Ayato declared. Then, his eyes widened in realisation.

With a smug grin on his face, he stated, "That's right... From now on, you shall make me takoyaki every day."

Yui groaned as she folded her lean arms over her chest. Why wasn't she surprised?

"Why? You can just ask Yu-san- I mean Yu-kun to imagine some for you."

Ayato's grin soon morphed to that of a frown upon the mentioning of the dream spirit's name.

He mumbled, his words drenched in indignation, "Yours Truly doesn't like that kid. He thinks he's in control just because he's some dream spirit and dares to order Yours Truly around… That kid will pay for that. Yours Truly is always superior, even in this world!" Yet, there was no missing the spike of confusion that flitted through his face. His shoulders retracted, the once confident air he exuded earlier on was all gone.

 _Even if they don't act like it, all the vampires must be confused after entering this new world too, aren't they?_

Of course, Yui would not let her observation show. She masked her knowledge with a faint smile.

"Ayato-kun, Yu-kun is merely trying to help," she defended the dream spirit. The redhead's frown was more pronounced than before.

"Help? He plans to take Yours Truly's soul! The prospect of it is irking, but Yours Truly does have his great plans. Soon, that kid will plead for forgiveness," he boasted, sticking his chest out again.

"Great plans?" Yui questioned. She was mildly surprised to say the least. Ayato was never very vocal on his thoughts of their new predicament, which was rather contradictory to his personality. Was his discreetness with his 'plans' intentional? What exactly was the redhead thinking and scheming?

Ayato dismissed her doubt with an absolute statement, "It's nothing of your concern." Instead of opting to elaborate more, he simply indulged in the luxury of takoyaki, no longer offering room for more probing.

Yui decided to let the matter rest. It wasn't any of her business, anyway. Besides, there was another thing that pervaded her mind—those familiar green eyes that harboured hostility from a predator to a prey.

"Ayato-kun, I'm just wondering… Do you think we've met before?" she asked.

Green orbs clashed against pink. Ayato rubbed his head, his lips quirking into that of a mischievous grin.

"Why? You wish we had?"

Yui's face flushed red, only realising the intonations of her question belatedly.

Shaking away her embarrassment, she corrected herself, "T-That is not what I meant! I just thought I found you familiar, that's all. Geez."

A lapse of silence fell upon Ayato. His expression was unreadable, but soon, he regained that trademark narcissistic grin of his.

"Don't be too conceited. Why would Yours Truly grace you his presence? Unless if it's for your talent in making takoyaki or for your blood, Yours Truly won't associate himself with you at all. After all, you are just a flat pancake," he blatantly stated without a single sense of shame. Somehow, it was almost expected coming from him.

Yui folded her arms, shaking her head in disapproval at the ungrateful guy.

"How mean. At least I know how to make takoyaki," she spat out. Needless to say, this invited a challenging glare from the redhead.

"…Are you implying Yours Truly doesn't?"

"That's not what I meant," she sweetly replied, successfully provoking Ayato. Ayato pushed his sleeves up, a fire of determination burning in his green eyes.

"Fine. Let Yours Truly show you what he's capable for!"

Later, they spent a lot of time trying to see if Ayato's competency in takoyaki making was on mark. Unfortunately for the redhead, his efforts were futile as the takoyaki he produced was either burnt or inedible, and he began complaining on how 'human equipment was annoying and useless'. The takoyaki pan soon disappeared after some time, and Yui presumed it was Yu's act since Ayato was taking such a long time.

All along, Yui was resisting the urge to giggle at Ayato's failure, and she might have if it was not for how despondent he looked. His resemblance to a petulant child was all the more obvious, and it actually evoked some of her motherly instincts.

Still, the unanswered doubts she had unsettled her. What was her connection with Ayato in the past life? Why would she even be involved with him? And the more rampant her thoughts grew, the more she dreaded the answer to them all, especially the darkness lingering behind his green eyes.

* * *

The familiar brown walls greeted her as soon as she stepped into the comfort of the music room. The prospect of playing hide-and-seek with random strangers did intrigue her a little, but she had little time to dilly-dally. Twelve days might seem like a lot of time, but in reality, time flew by faster than expected. She would need to maximise all the time she needed to discover her past. Her first clue was the isolated music room, she believed. It was the place where she acted based on instinct for the first time, and where she discovered her apparent liking towards singing.

That was what she found weird. If Yui could recall her faith and Ayato could remember his love for takoyaki, why did 'singing' never come across as a hobby to her?

There was only one conclusion she arrived with: Her original self wanted to erase that part of her because of how it had once caused her grief. But, it was possible that a deeper consciousness inside her did not want to forget that part of her either as it gave her happiness at the same time. This dilemma resulted in such contradiction, where her consciousness had no recollection of such memory yet she could act based on instinct concurrently. It had only happened once, so she couldn't be sure if her speculation was correct. She needed more observation to tell.

There was also the occasional sense of familiarity she got whenever certain things happened. That might be her deeper consciousness acting again. Even if she did not want to forget, something was holding her back from forgetting completely. This was something she could exploit, at least.

For some reason, this felt like a battle with her own self—her past self and her inner self. Unbeknownst to her, she released a bitter chuckle. If Yu had an ulterior motive in mind, perhaps it was all to drive them crazy. Yet, if he didn't, it just meant that he was still a naïve kid. He failed to predict that pain and happiness weren't linear emotions, and they could mingle and happen together simultaneously. His thoughts were way too simple.

A familiar figure was stretched on the floor as immobile as a corpse. Tamiko was impassive as she stared down at the unmoving figure. Ignoring the statue, she moved over to the grand piano. Her brown eyes softened, her fingers trailing over the smooth texture of the piano keys. She recalled the only song she could remember and pressed down the keys.

 _DundunDUN!_

It was just like she thought. She couldn't play the piano at all. Her fingers were too stiff and clumsy.

"What are you doing? Your horrible playing is disrupting my sleep. And those annoying fellows will definitely come after hearing that," a low voice echoed in the air. Tamiko turned to look at the immobile figure on the floor whose eyes remained closed.

"It doesn't matter to me."

"It may not matter to you, but it does to me, troublesome woman. I don't want to be summoned. I cannot stand that dream spirit's voice." His voice continued to be as monotonous as ever, as if speaking itself was a labourous chore. Apathy had seeped deep into his veins to the point that it had become one with him, it seemed.

Out of everyone, he appeared the most detached when it came to life itself. Kanato was a close second, but at least Kanato had his own world with his teddy bear. Shu, on the other hand, didn't even have his own world. He was just slumbering endlessly and blindly. That fact did irk Tamiko slightly, for she would never be so desperate to cast herself in a vicious curse of indifference. She constantly sought for answers even in the most drastic circumstances. At least, that was what she believed in.

"If it really matters that much, you can just leave," she said.

"It takes effort to leave. Also, you're the one who barged into my territory first," he complained, a disgruntled expression forming all over his face.

She shrugged, replying curtly, "I'm not a lazy person, so I can't sympathise with you, unfortunately. Also, this is a place for public use."

There was no response from the male. He didn't seem bothered enough to retort back at her. Tamiko didn't want to force a reply from him either. She relished in the silence as she surveyed the other musical instruments with indifference.

 _Seems like other than knowing how to sing, I'm just not a music person._

There was no other information of use to her in the room anymore. Maybe she should try and sing that song once more?

As she thought so, he began to bring up something unexpected.

"I've heard that song before."

She raised an eyebrow.

"…You mean, the one I sang before?" she asked. He nodded mutely. Was it a common song?

"That itself may not be a surprise if it's a classic, but that song is an anomaly. I do not recall the composer's name," he said.

 _Huh… Does that mean it's composed by someone he doesn't want to remember? Wait… I don't remember the composer's name too._

She racked her brains in order to find any information she had on the song. Other than recalling the fact that the song was titled 'Euterpe', she couldn't remember anything else.

 _Does this mean we both know this composer? That means… We might have known each other before too._

Standing up from the piano seat, she questioned the blonde, "Shu. Can you play the violin right now?"

Shu finally opened one of his eyes, icy blue fixated against dull black.

"As I'm a lazy person, I refuse. You've disturbed my sleep enough as it is," he said.

"Hm. Not only are you lazy, but you're also petty. I just want to confirm something. If you're actually a violinist, surely playing the violin isn't as demanding as you claim it is?"

"I know what you're trying to confirm. I don't care if there's a deeper story behind this or not. Memories are a burden, and I see no merit in actively trying to remember what you wanted to forget. Leave me in peace now," he dismissed her, shutting his opened eye once more.

"And you? You're really okay with giving up your soul without knowing even the reason behind that?" she questioned.

"Vampires are immortal. Even if our memories are erased, I believe I know even more than you do. I know more than anyone else than dying is a blessing, not a curse. Of course, foolish humans like you won't understand," he stated plainly with zero regard to his own limited life.

How heavy was the burden of eternal life? Tamiko could not envision it, nor would she ever want to carry it. Life itself was a laborious chore; she couldn't imagine prolonging a normal hundred years of human life to thousands and thousands of years. Yet, she could not agree with the vampire when it came to one thing.

"Believe me; I'd rather die than live. But I will die knowing why instead of dying as an oblivious idiot," she concluded. Shu heaved a sharp breath.

"…How foolish. Why spend all that effort on something so useless?" he murmured.

Sensing the unwavering lethargy from the blonde, Tamiko decided to switch tactics. If Shu was the only connection she had to her past life, then she would utilise this link at all costs.

"Let's agree to disagree, vampire. Just play me the violin. If you do so, I'll gladly leave you alone."

 _For now._

Shu groaned, but he eventually got up and picked up the violin.

 _Bribery is indeed very effective, it seems._

His slender fingers slid through the strings on the fingerboard as he looked towards the instrument with unusual fondness, the apathy from before wearing off.

"…Song?" he asked.

"…I don't know. Ah, how about the song I sang?"

If they did know each other, then they must have been somehow connected by the song since that was the common memory they shared. At least, that was what Tamiko predicted.

Shu raised the instrument on his shoulder, gliding the bow across the strings of the fingerboard. The melody immediately filled the room.

" _Oh, field flower that has bloomed  
Ah, somehow please tell me:  
Why is it that people hurt each other  
and fight?"_

She sang lightly under her breath, following the rhythm of the violin's notes. Just then, an indistinct image of the blonde playing the same instrument and her singing the same song came into mind. Tamiko attempted to focus onto that blurry memory, but somehow, all that did was make her head throb. She hissed in pain, stopping her singing.

Before she knew it, the music had stopped and there was another intruder waiting at the door.

"Ah~ Have I come in at the wrong timing? Is Shu serenading you, Bitch-chan?" Laito mocked, slowly stepping into the room. The words only flew by Tamiko's head. Her suspicions had been confirmed, but something inside her was telling her not to get closer to that memory any longer. If she did, she was just going to be even more wounded…

"Don't be disgusting," she coughed out, and then she ran out. The air in the music room was suffocating her, and the sense of familiarity even so. For the first time, she dreaded what lay beyond.

* * *

In the library, Shiori retrieved several books from the 'Dream World' section before plopping down on the couch at the corner. Her belief was that she was killing two birds with one stone—for one, the corner was a rather discreet area blocked by the many shelves of the library, and for another, she could learn more about the dream world and the wonders it might entail her.

The first book she picked up was titled 'Entities in the Dream World'. It was fairly thin and basically introduced the dream spirits, souls as well as the Guardian, the 'ruler' of the Dream World who set the rules governing the world, apparently. She read the biographies of the respective entities carefully.

' _Souls are often the remnants of the dead and undead, and they can be harvested by dream spirits. They can only exist in physical form temporarily, unless they are converted to dream spirits.'_

Shiori's eyes sparkled, latching onto the last sentence like a hawk. Being a dream spirit would be the most ideal dream! She would be able to create her own world, just like Yu did, and venture into others' dreams. Why didn't Yu tell them that there was another way out other than having their souls be harvested?

She continued to read on, though there wasn't any further information on how a soul could become a dream spirit. Later, she moved on to the second book titled 'Types of Dreams'. Dreams could have a linear story or they could be an empty universe, which was probably what LoL Academy was. There were no rules restricting dreams. Gravity need not be existent if the dreamer wished so, and even creating something out of thin air was possible.

The more she read, the more she was enraptured by the world called the Dream World. It was a magical place where everything you wanted could become reality, very much unlike the callous nature of the real world itself. She made a resolve to ask Yu about becoming a dream spirit later on.

"Fufu~ I see another prey."

She almost jumped. There standing in front of her was Laito, who was not fooled even by her inconspicuous hiding place.

"Fine, I admit defeat. I'm caught," she stated, her red eyes watching the redhead warily. Laito smirked as he slowly cornered her. She was going to weasel her way out, but the redhead suddenly caught her wrist.

"Caught," he whispered to her.

The red-haired girl glared at him before kicking his gut.

"Don't do the unthinkable! Yu-chan the mighty is looking at us!" she shouted, in hope of intimidating the vampire. The vampire only laughed.

"And you think I'm scared of that little midget?" he questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice. Then, he glanced downwards to the stack of books beside the girl, his eyes narrowing.

"Hmm, so you've become an avid follower of the dream world? How stupidly naïve of you, bitch-chan."

"Thank you for the insults, but I believe being a dream spirit is more meaningful than being a pervert. At least I'll be making a positive difference," she scoffed. His chin tilted.

"Positive difference? Pft, how funny you are, bitch-chan! Do you actually think midget-chan here is doing this to be nice?" he questioned, his derisive cackling reverberating in the silent air.

Then, his laughter abruptly ceased as he leaned closer to the girl, invading her private space. He was the lion gaining territory, and she was just but a little sheep.

He whispered, "No. He's giving you hope little by little, and then eventually, he'll break you. Such a sophisticated plan he has, hasn't it? And you, foolish bitch-chan, has fallen for it. Fufu. I'm almost inspired thanks to him."

Shiori shuddered.

 _He's giving you hope little by little, and then eventually, he'll break you._

Laito's words had themselves wrapped around her head, cajoling her to believe him. But she shook her head, refusing to let go of this tiny glimmer of hope she had. Because if there was no trust, there would be no hope, and if there was no hope, there would be nothing left.

"You must've been through some pretty messed up stuff to become like this, huh… But you're wrong. Believe it or not, nice people do actually exist, and they use their power to help others, Lai-chan. Even if you vampires were being so difficult, he still persisted through his plans. He wanted us to experience the joy of childhood again, when he could just take the easy way out by performing magic or some other grand stuff. That proves his sincerity, and that's why I will believe him, no matter what," she declared, her voice firm and determined. She knew Laito was eyeing her with what appeared to be reproach and disagreement, but she stood on her own ground. Because she felt all of Yu's feelings through the games. The overwhelming bliss of just being able to be play with friends—she was able to feel it again, even just by a little. That was why she wanted to take a leap of faith and trust in him.

"Your innocence is revolting, bitch-chan," Laito hissed under his breath.

"I wonder how your expression will twist in pain when you realise the foolishness of your thoughts. I'll prove that to you."

There was this eerie sense of déjà vu in his words. As much as she wanted to push the creeping anxiety away budding inside her, it continued to grow and spread, crippling her limbs from moving. Facing Laito's scheming green eyes, her molten red eyes flamed with retaliation.

And then, she smiled.

"Let's see how you'll do that, Lai-chan."

When he let his guard down, she pushed him away and stalked out of the library, her smile fading into a sullen frown.

Vampires thrilled in pain. If that was the case, then all she had to do was to act happy. Keep deceiving others, because when she was able to accomplish that, she could eventually deceive herself. Disregarding her insecurities, doubts and worries, she just had to maintain this façade of confidence. That was the only way she could protect herself in this world where people relished in suffering.

* * *

The albino idly roamed around the garden, his scarlet eyes hardened with wariness when he came across two vampires.

"Oi. Reiji and Kanato, is it?"

Reiji pushed his glasses up, lips pursed. He was inspecting the white roses in the garden. On the other hand, Kanato's eyes were still fixated on his teddy bear, seemingly oblivious of the presence of people around him.

"Hah… Seems like none of you actually care about this stupid game, huh?"

"Why would Teddy and I be involved in such a game?" the sole purple-haired boy muttered, now opting to caress the soft material of the teddy bear.

"I am merely cooperating as of now, but that does not mean I'll devote myself to playing such a game. Now, I would like to conduct my research in peace," Reiji dismissed the albino, continuing to gaze at the flower bushes ahead.

"And your research involves staring at flowers?" the albino questioned, a mock grin on his face.

Reiji remained unaffected by the jab as he proceeded to explain his action, "If I'm not wrong, this place is constructed to cater to all our different needs. Subaru, this is your territory, isn't it?"

Subaru nodded mutely. He hadn't done much exploration around, but this garden had become his refuge ever since he came to this odd academy. While he regarded most things with apathy and annoyance, this garden had a splendor of white roses which he had strangely gotten attached to, somehow.

He wasn't bothered by his loss of memories as much as he was by the fact that he was thrown into this bizarre environment with equally bizarre beings, but he did wonder about the story behind his attachment to the white roses. Yet, if he knew more, he had a feeling the thorns of those roses would prick him.

"Evil glasses, you're actually serious about finding those memories, huh?" he murmured.

"Of course. Do you two plan to just give your souls to that dream spirit mindlessly?"

"I don't particularly care about that. But it does annoy me that I have to listen to a pesky kid," Subaru said in a gruff voice.

"Yes… Teddy is unhappy with that kid."

"You are a kid too, pipsqueak," Subaru pointed out only to earn a glare from the purple-haired boy.

Ignoring the banter between the two, Reiji said, "It is true that as of now, we are of an inferior position. It's unseemly for us vampires, but we will have to put up with it for now. I'll see if there are any other ways out."

"Whatever. This will be over once the twelve days are up anyway," Subaru said, already casting Reiji's words out of his mind. All he wanted was to perish; nothing else quite mattered to him.

* * *

The hide-and-seek event was finally over, though Yu's complaints of 'the catchers being too slow' and 'the hiders not hiding well enough' continued to sound even after the whole thing. After the whole fiasco, Yu said, "The first human day is over. As promised, Miko-chan, Rei-chan and Yui-chan will get to see glimpses of their memories in their dreams. The rest of you will just be resting until the second day comes."

After the others had gone into slumber, the trio crowded in a corner, embarking in an intense discussion.

"Tamiko-san, Reiji-san, have you gotten this sense of déjà vu occasionally? I believe I might have known Ayato-kun before," she said.

Tamiko nodded, adding, "Indeed. I get this feeling for Shu too."

Reiji massaged his temples as he said, "Not really. In what situation did you get this feeling of déjà vu?"

Yui and Tamiko exchanged looks, before the blonde began to speak, "When Ayato-kun caught me earlier on, his eyes appeared really creepy and I just felt sort of cornered, I guess…"

"I speculate that it happens in significant scenes. I only got this feeling when Shu began to play a song we both remembered on the violin," Tamiko commented. Reiji nodded slowly.

"There is only one reason why we vampires would ever closely associate ourselves with humans. That is for their blood. Which means you must have been sacrificial brides for Ayato and Shu."

Yui blinked in disbelief. She, a sacrificial bride for a vampire? How was that even possible?

"N-No way…" she muttered. Tamiko's forehead wrinkled at this conclusion.

"Now that I've answered your doubts, you should answer mine as well. Has the either of you recalled anything concrete from your memories?" Reiji questioned.

While Tamiko shook her head, the blonde nodded.

"I have. It's a scene of my childhood."

"So it's possible that we can reclaim our memories after all," Reiji concluded.

Yu, who had been listening to the conversation at the side, began to tap his feet impatiently.

"Is that all? If that is, I'm letting you into your dreams, although I doubt you'll recall much anyway. Good luck," he said, not leaving room for any objection.

"Now, what's with that absolute certainty?" Tamiko questioned, clicking her tongue.

The dream spirit's eyes turned glassy, vigour all lost and scattered as he said, "I'm never wrong. No one wants to recall pain."

As soon as he said that, the three's visions went black.

* * *

When Yui opened her eyes again, she found herself in what seemed to be a mansion. Instead of the brown walls of the hall, she was facing gloomy grey pillars. There was a red carpet stretching from the doorway to the interior of the mansion, its bold colour standing out from the shiny ground. The dimly lit chandelier was a contributor to the mansion's grand yet eerie atmosphere. It was such a vast contrast to the academy she was in before. Other than her quiet breathing, not a sound could be heard.

 _This place was a part of my memories? How could it be? I would expect the church to come out of all places…_

Despite having her reservations, Yui made her way through the hallways of the mansion, her rosy eyes darting about in nervous vigilance. Just then, she spotted an indistinct figure at the distance.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, her voice almost cracking. The lighting of the hallways was too dim for her to make up that person's features. She inched closer, still on her guard. Goosebumps formed on her skin as she recalled all the horror movies she had watched before.

 _I-I'm already dead, right? So I don't have to be scared. I don't have to…_

She attempted to assuage the concerns inside her to futile efforts. The figure began to approach her. The limited amount of light fell on her, slowly revealing her face.

"O-Oh! So it's you, Tamiko-san," Yui said, heaving a sigh of relief. And here she was thinking of the unthinkable that might happen… She was so silly!

Oblivious to the girl's fear, Tamiko simply said, "It seems like we may be connected after all, through this place at least. Let's see if we can find any clues."

Yui nodded, her throat dry and hoarse. The two girls ventured the rooms in silence. Soon, they found a familiar black-haired figure in a laboratory.

"…It's you two," Reiji acknowledged, his voice revealing no bewilderment.

"I did not expect to see you here too. Do vampires have some sort of rituals when assigning sacrificial brides to a certain vampire? Why else would all three of us be here?" she questioned.

"No, we do not. Sacrificial brides are offered to families by churches. Given the fact we're all here, I believe Ayato and Shu are related to me, and it would be safe to assume that the other three are as well. This must be our mansion, and you two had been offered to our family," Reiji explained. Yui's eyes widened, her hands clenching into small fists.

 _So I was offered to be a sacrificial bride by the church? B-But, there is no way. How can that be…_

"R-Really? I mean, were we really offered to be a sacrificial bride by a church? I just… It's impossible," she mumbled, tears inexplicably forming in her eyelids. Her faith for God was strong, strong enough to withstand all odds. So why was it that at that point of time, she was beginning to doubt the religion she trusted so much?

"It's not impossible. Churches are shady. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a political agenda behind all of this," Tamiko stated simply, the distrust and hatred evident in her eyes.

"I-I don't believe this…" Yui insisted, her thoughts becoming a blur again. The throbbing in her head was hinting at her to cease knowing, yet the bubble of curiosity was still growing and expanding.

In her panic, she grabbed onto a flask of potion, to which Reiji immediately reacted by yelling, "Don't touch that!" He rushed to snatch the flask from her, his eyes watching the blonde with what seemed like bitterness and regret.

"…Reiji?"

Tamiko frowned at the uncharacteristic response of both Yui and Reiji. Upon realising his actions, the bespectacled man cleared his throat, placing the flask on the table once more. The glass clunk with the hard surface, the liquid inside swirling in a hypnotic motion.

"…I apologise. It seems like I've lost my cool for a moment. But I believe it's not right to touch strangers' things."

It sounded like an excuse, and he probably knew that. Yui shook her head, though it was still numb from pain.

"Y-You're right. Let's just... move on…" she stuttered over her words as she staggered to the door.

Tamiko followed after her, her gaze trailing behind the blonde. Her eyes softened.

"Yui, are you okay? You don't seem fine."

"I-I'm okay. Let's keep searching," she insisted, wanting to brush away the mere thought of her church ever betraying her. The wound was still too fresh, and it was too early for her to put salt over it.

* * *

As the trio walked the hallways, they came across a suspicious room. Carefully, they treaded inside. There were chains lying on the ground. Gemstones of amethyst were scattered on a table. Otherwise, the room was a pile of ruin. Lying beyond the mess was a small book covering a picture.

Out of curiosity, Yui picked up the book, revealing the picture entirely. It was a picture of a man carrying a tiny baby blonde girl.

Her head ached once more, signaling her: _No. Don't go forward anymore._ But the demons of her curiosity eventually won over her inner warning. She began to read the diary.

 _Yui brings me great joy. The fact she is not my natural child is no longer important to me._

"W-What… What does this mean?" she questioned, her eyes blinking once more. The words went inside her, swarming and suffocating her with feelings she didn't want to remember again—pain, grief and hopelessness. The more she thought, the more she was afflicted by those memories of her past.

"F-Father…"

Her mind was swirling. Blurred voices of what sounded like concern echoed in the air, but she could perceive none of them. Slowly, the colours of the room faded from her sight, and everything went black.

* * *

A/N: A more serious chapter, but it's kinda necessary for the plot to move forward. The story won't be as light as I imagined it to be, because angsty vampires aren't helping me very much, and I would like to keep them as IC as possible xD Hope this gives you guys more answers than questions, at least regarding the characters' pasts. Day 1 is now up, and we'll be moving on to Day 2, which will be more fun and less exposition. Hopefully. We'll see xP


	7. EXTRA: Christmas

A/N: This is just a Christmas gift. It's still related to the main story, but there's just more Christmas fluff. Merry Christmas everyone, and hope y'all will enjoy this chapter :D

* * *

 _ **christmas: a contradictory season, where one feels warmth from love and feels cold from weather**_

Before any of them could've guessed it, the academy was transformed into a snowy landscape. Snowflakes cascaded down the sky, accumulating on the ground to form a blanket of fluffy snow. On one end, there was a steep slope of snow, and on the other a flat surface. Other than a ski storage rack, no building was in sight, allowing the wind to breeze past the ten figures.

"Guess what time it is? It's Christmas, everyone!" Yu exclaimed, jumping around with fervent excitement. At the sight of the snowy scene, Shiori and Yui immediately slid through the snow, letting out screams of bliss. In contrast, simultaneous groans could be heard from the other vampires. Tamiko only blinked, staring at the snow with wistfulness. She thought she could almost hear the tittering of church children and the pattering of their feet against the snow.

Christmas was a season for the Christians. It was a season for reunions, gatherings and laughter. But to her, it was an alarming reminder that the world had forsaken her, and her world was frigid and frozen in time. She had no basis for her intuition, of course; she had no memories to recall. But right then, her instincts were the only light guiding her.

"So it is. How does that explain the fact that we're here out in the snow?" Reiji questioned, his nose scrunching in distaste.

"Ugh, it's so cold… I can't sleep in this environment," Shu complained.

"Teddy doesn't like this cold. Bring us back this instance," Kanato commanded, hugging his teddy bear close to him.

Yu folded his arms, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Don't be such party poopers! The fun of Christmas is about doing things in the snow, you know?" he said. Flashing a cheeky grin, he rolled a ball of snow and threw it at Ayato. Ayato flinched, the snow decorating his shirt with white.

"…Are you provoking Yours Truly, you little imp?" Ayato growled, his eyes glowering at the perpetrator of his coldness. Yu only shrugged; his smile remained plastered on his face as a form of a taunt and jest.

"If you're mad, then catch me if you can, Ayato-sama~" he chortled, picking up another ball of snow to aim at Kanato- or more precisely his teddy bear. Just as he predicted, Kanato immediately shrieked, brushing away the snow from his beloved teddy bear.

"TEDDDDY!" he howled, clutching the teddy bear protectively into his arms. Then, he sent a brazen glare to the boy a few centimetres shorter than him. As Yu caught sight of the snowball that was about to be sent his way, he hid behind Subaru, causing Ayato to throw the snowball towards Subaru.

Subaru, his body turning as white as his hair, was not the least amused. He directed his anger to the clear culprit.

"Oi, I'm already sick of you calling yourself 'Yours Truly' all the time. Now you even plan on challenging me? Just you wait, Ayato!" he yelled, hurling a snowball at the redhead with penetrating force.

When the snowball splattered all over him, the redhead turned his fuming gaze to the albino.

"Hah, and you think you can win Yours Truly? Look at this, kidnapper!"

As he said so, a flurry of snowballs were casted towards the albino. The intense exchange of snowballs carried on as Kanato continued to send his own snowballs to the shorter kid at an alarming rate. However, he sacrificed his accuracy for speed, and Yu's petite figure allowed him to be more agile and flexible when dodging the weapons aimed at him. Many of the snowballs ended up flying off trajectory or towards another unknowing target, such as Shiori.

The red-haired girl now had a creepy smile on her face. Her eyes crinkled in amusement as she watched the white splotch on her chest.

"Ohhh… I'm getting so fired up. Watch my special technique, the 'Super Snowballing Throw'!" she babbled, posing dramatically while launching the snowball into a high arc. The ball of snow hit the purple-haired boy's nose spot-on.

Meanwhile, Kanato returned her smile with an equally creepy one of his own.

"Silly mortal woman… Such an antic is not enough to faze me. I shall bury you with snow, and let you freeze in this cold weather. Mmhmm. Such a punishment is only right, no?" he sweetly answered her provocation, returning her attack with a swift slam.

Yu chuckled at the sight of chaos in front of him, occasionally inciting the 'conflicts' and using others as shields when he himself was being targeted.

The uninvolved watched on, some with mirth and others with sceptism. Tamiko should be part of the latter, yet a sense of warmth enveloped her, ironic to the cold sensation of snow amidst her fingertips. She felt like she was close to rediscovering something she had lost before.

"How childish," Reiji commented as he clicked his tongue. Yui only smiled.

"How happy," she noted. Something flashed across the other four's eyes, Tamiko noticed—something that had long been buried before. In Yui's frenzy, she jogged to the ski storage rack, beckoning the other four to follow her.

"Instead of joining in and getting cold, let's go skiing instead!" she proposed, punching her fists together. Her enthusiasm was returned with indifference from the three.

Shu yawned, mumbling, "Too much of a hassle." Reiji scrutinised the blonde, his lips pressed thin in a firm line.

"Of course, everything is a hassle to a deadbeat. I would not be surprised if you don't even know how to ski properly," he said, a biting edge to his voice.

And then, a miracle was born. Shu stood up; his usual eyes that were hardened with apathy lit up with a fire of defiance.

"Do you?"

Not sensing the tension between the two, Yui piped in, "Only a competition will tell."

And so, the three strode off to the skis. Yui was the slowest of them all, causing Shu to rebuke her for being a slowpoke and Reiji comparing her speed to that of a turtle. And Yui had protested vehemently, saying that they didn't have to put it in such a horrid way. Eventually, Shu won the skiing competition to Reiji's dissatisfaction, which Reiji expressed through snide remarks.

Tamiko watched the scene unfolding in front of her. It was slight—very slight—but for a moment, she thought something awakened inside them. It wasn't so much of happiness, but something more of longing, as if this instance of being in each other's company was a scene so distant and foreign.

"Ah, who knew Shu would react in such a way, right bitch-chan? Fufu~ Now, what shall we do?" Laito purred. He remained as an observer, but the way he jutted up his lower lip didn't go unnoticed from Tamiko's line of vision.

She never really liked Laito. Other than being too loquacious for her liking, he possessed a flippant attitude towards everything. Above it all, his volatile nature unnerved her. She had this feeling that he was not as shallow as what his image appeared to, and he was merely observing everyone with those watchful eyes of his.

Yet, at that point of time, they were just two outsiders sharing the same deficiency of not being able to understand the bliss of celebrating festive seasons like Christmas. And so, this caused her to do the unthinkable—converse with him.

"What is the meaning of Christmas?" she asked, more to herself than to her companion.

Laito raised an eyebrow at her question. For a moment, his smile wavered, but he maintained his crude farce.

"Pft. Christmas is a day for lovers… to do things together, of course. Other meanings are irrelevant to me. After all, what other business would a vampire have with a human event?"

His answer was as shallow as she imagined. Then again, her definition of Christmas was equally shallow as well. Although she didn't want to admit it, they were practically two peas in the same pod. Was that the reason why the dream spirit chose to summon them?

"All I know is that Christmas is cold. Very cold," she mumbled. But the familiar warmth nuzzling inside her was telling her otherwise. When was the last time had she felt such warmth again?

"Want me to warm you up, bitch-chan?" he teased her.

She smiled faintly.

"You can't. You're cold too. Both physically and emotionally."

She ignored the blank look that Laito cast her way. Instead, she rolled a gigantic ball of snow.

"Let's build a snowman. We'll make it look like Yu, and then destroy it," she initiated. It was a preposterous and immature suggestion. She would never suggest it in normal conditions. But, for a moment, she wanted to see if she could find this emotion which she had lost. To be able to indulge herself in a period of foolishness… How would that feel like exactly?

Laito's eyes widened, tilting his head slightly. Then, he laughed.

"You're surprisingly open, bitch-chan. Have you fallen for me already?"

His laugh was hollow and empty.

She curtly replied, "The day I fall for you is the day when pigs fly."

Laito pouted.

"How cruel."

Knowingly, he picked up the pebbles on the ground and planted two inside the ball of snow. His finger slid across the snow, forming a wide jagged curve underneath the pebbles. Tamiko supposed it was his attempt of making a smile on the snowman.

"Look, this is midget-chan," he shouted towards the dream spirit. The dream spirit looked back, gasping dramatically at the sight of the collapsing ball of snow.

"Hey, I don't look so ugly! Plus, I look like I'm about to fall!" he protested. Laito's eyes only crinkled.

"Fufu. Goodbye, midget-chan."

Then, he smashed the ball of snow, causing the lump to collapse over.

The wailing of a certain dream spirit could be heard even from a distance.

This time, Tamiko let her laughter loose, her dimples blemishing her otherwise stoic face. Maybe she shouldn't have found it so funny. Laito was a sadist, and it was highly likely that he did that for his own amusement and nothing else. Yet, this exchange between them allowed her to remember the mutual affection friends showed each other, which was teasing and harmless.

Something inside her nagged at her. _Laito isn't harmless, and you know that._ But, if they were laughing in Christmas, she almost wanted to believe in the impossible.

The warmth continued to stir inside her. She surely couldn't classify this feeling as 'happiness'. It was too shallow to be that. But maybe, she could classify it as comfort. Because for once, even if she was with possibly the most annoying company ever, she wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

Ten shaking figures sat near a fireplace, which was eventually created by Yu after many complaints from the aforementioned ten. Christmas songs played in the background, setting up an amiable atmosphere.

"Ugh… Now thanks to you, Yours Truly is cold," Ayato lamented, his voice strangely weak for once.

"Tch… Why do we still feel cold if we're not even living? The rules of this world are so screwed up…" Subaru groaned as well.

"But you guys had fun, didn't you?" Yu asked innocently.

"Fun? How ridiculous," Reiji muttered. The rest of the vampires nodded in unison.

Shiori giggled, muttering to the girls, "They're all tsunderes, I bet."

Tamiko let a small smile surface on her face.

"It was fun."

"Miko-chan! You understand what's the meaning of fun?" Shiori asked, gasping in possibly the most exaggerated manner ever. Tamiko rolled her eyes at the redhead's response.

"Don't be overdramatic. I'm merely stating how I felt," she plainly stated.

The faint smile never faded from Tamiko's face. As the sizzling of the fire continued, and the group began to bicker over the most nonsensical things ever, the warmth didn't stop spreading inside her.


End file.
